Hero of Time Chronicles: True Darkness
by marickiyaRose
Summary: The story of the True Force. Since returning to Hyrule from his 7 year journey, Link has been met with nothing but grief and strife. The worst part, he's been told the Sages may have made a mistake in sealing Ganon inside the Sacred Realm. After everything he's done, he is forced to take up his role as Hero again, but this time, he may be getting help from unexpected sources.
1. Chapter 1

**Hero of Time Chronicles**

**Part 1: True Darkness**

_Beginning's End_

There cannot be good without evil. It is a saying that has a lot of wisdom behind it.

What is the meaning of good? How do you decide who are the good guys? And who the bad ones are…

This is the story of the Hero of Time. We all know who he is, but we really don't know that much about him, his family, or his past. He has traveled all over Hyrule during his endeavor to free the land from the grasp of the Evil King. He has traveled beyond those borders in search of a dear friend and became slightly lost in the midst of a new land called Termina where he helped all he could in the time that he stayed. Now, just over 7 years have passed, the great calamity has passed, and the hero is longing for the place that he once knew.

"I'm on my way home."

His voice was as soft as the gentle wind that played across his hair. It was a whispered uncertainty.

Was it really his home? What could he call home? To the world, he was a wandering nomad of good deeds. However, his heart lurched for the land he was born of.

Hyrule.

He knew nothing of his lineage. He did not know where he was truly born, only that his childhood was among the Kokiri, the tribe of children who never aged. He had been told once, by the Deku Sprout that now presided for the Great Deku Tree whom passed while he was young, about his mother. She came to the Deku Tree, wounded, dying, with a baby cradled in her arms. She pleaded with him, asking to keep and protect the child. The Tree agreed to allow the baby boy to live amongst his Kokiri and shortly afterward, the mother died, leaving nothing more for the child.

The baby that the Great Deku Tree sensed was a great part of a catastrophe to come, was Link; the Hylian that the sacred Master Sword chose to become the Hero of Time.

That was 7 years ago.

'_I can't believe I've been gone this long,' _Link thought to himself.

With Ganondorf no longer a threat to the land, Link was sent back in time, where his childhood left off, so he could regain the years he gave up to fulfill his destiny. Zelda was the one who sent him off. She took back her ocarina and played her lullaby, which, aided with her own magic, returned the Master Sword to the pedestal for good and allowed Link to become a child again.

For Link, it was a strange adjustment. He had to mature very fast to become the Hero that everyone needed, and going back to being a child was not exactly easy. With the mind of an adult he couldn't go back mentally. He left Hyrule to find himself. He traveled, helping anyone and everyone with whom he crossed paths. A lot of the time, some didn't take him seriously because of his childlike appearance. He always proved himself.

It took him nearly all of the seven years he was traveling to understand all these changes and to come to grips with them. He figured, in the end, being himself was always a good path to take.

So what now? He had initially decided to leave Hyrule, but now, he was going back. His journey was complete and now it was time to go home. But where was home? He didn't know what exactly he could call a home in his situation. He just wanted to go back to the place where he felt home. He knew the land and its people and that was good enough for him.

So he set off.

0000

It began with silence. Like there must always come an end to night, silence must also be shattered.

It was the beginning of a new day in Hryule. The sun was just peeking over the trees of the Kokiri Forest, the place where our story will first take us.

Kokiri Forest, as you know, is a very lively place. Full of fairies and the Kokiri themselves, it is always moving. During the day this is true, but as the sun was just beginning its ascent in the dark blue sky, illuminating it, all of the Kokiri were still safe and sound in their little huts and houses asleep. All except for one.

One of the houses' doors slowly creaked open. It was at the forefront of the village, signifying its importance, or rather, the importance of its inhabitant. The great Mido lived in this hut.

Only he didn't feel so great. Not anymore…

He once fancied himself the leader of the Kokiri. But now, he felt like the lowest of the low. Once, he had friends to surround himself with. They were his lackeys that did what he did. He bullied, so they bullied. But after that fated day, the day Saria left the forest forever, things started changing. He couldn't handle those changes. He took out his frustrations on his friends and one by one, they all left him. He felt alienated among his own people.

He poked his head out and took a look around. Upon seeing no one around, he opened his door more widely and exited to begin his morning trek.

This new regime of his started some months ago. He barely showed his face publicly anymore. He had no friends.

"Mido," came a small voice from inside his house. He closed his eyes awaiting for the tiny fairy that the voice belonged to come and flutter next to him.

"Elon," Mido replied as he watched the light shimmer from within his hut and exit to follow him.

"I'm coming with you," his little voice said in Mido's ear. Mido fought the urge to roll his eyes. He said nothing in reply, just continued to walk in the directions he had intended. Not a word was spoken between the two old friends.

Mido never hated the fact that Elon accompanied him every single time he made his trek into the Lost Woods. It was nice to have that friendly reassurance, even if he sometimes never spoke during their mornings together. He had long since given up trying to tell his fairy that he didn't need to go with him every time. He knew his fairy wasn't too happy with his actions as of late along with everyone else in the village. There was one night where they fought to screaming and both of their throats were raw. Elon had mouthed off about Mido's behavior, and Mido defended himself and his actions. He felt wrong the whole time. He was being stubborn and he knew it, which was the worst feeling he had ever felt since Saria's departure. He was too stubborn to admit he was wrong. Elon, fed up with heated arguments and Mido's attitude, left in a huff. Before he did though, he said something that changed Mido.  
><em>"I wish I had never been your fairy."<em>

The words were etched into him now. They never spoke of it, but Elon came back. He said that no matter his own feelings on the matter, he would remain Mido's guardian for the late Great Deku Tree's sake.

He knew he had been wrong now. He never apologized for that night. He didn't know how, or if Elon would even forgive him. They were more like acquaintances now.

He felt undeserving of any friends. He wanted to make it up to everyone but was not well versed in how to go about doing such a thing. It would take time. A lot of that has passed, Mido mused to himself. Nothing had changed. No one talked to him. He was better off by himself to think. If he died alone, it was his own doing and he deserved every preciously agonizing minute of it.

He climbed up the vine clad wall that led up to the Lost Woods. In the woods was where his destination resided. It was where he spent most of his time.

A few months before, he had wandered into the woods, feeling miserable as was his most common emotion nowadays. At that point, he felt if he got himself lost in the Lost Woods, it would be the best thing that happened to him. So he wandered non-sequentially trying to get lost. It was very stupid of him, he realized. But if he hadn't, he would not have found his special place. As far as he knew, no one had ever found the place he had discovered.

It was all very simply. I was just a clearing surrounded by trees the loomed overhead and made for a very relaxing quiet place. He was so amazed at the simplicity that made it so magnificent.

He knew exactly what he was going to do.

Saria had once given Mido some flower seeds that he so foolishly dismissed as "too girly" in front of her. He kept the seeds, though, for he loved Saria with all his heart even if he wasn't too good at showing it. He made a makeshift map of how to find the clearing and went back to find the right supplies. He had a purpose now. So every morning, he would wake up before all the rest of the Kokiri and tend to his new garden that he made.  
>For a while, everyone thought he had just up and left the village altogether. Some were worried for him, but no one looked into the situation. The only proof of his existence in the forest at all was the lights that stayed on throughout the night in his house.<p>

No one questioned him.

Without Link, Saria, or Mido, the forest remained relatively quiet.

"Mido, how can you carry on like this?" Elon stated blatantly. Mido was taken aback a little. They were in the woods now and were making their way to the secret garden.

"What do you mean?" Mido asked.

"You know what I mean," he said exasperatedly. "This! You never talk to any of your friends anymore. You're always alone. Why do you do this to yourself?"

"You know that my friends wouldn't want to talk to me. Not after the way I treated them," he replied with melancholy. Elon looked like he had pent up his feelings on the subject for a while now.

"You don't know that, they could have changed their minds. It's been so long since you've seen anyone from the village."

Mido knew this. He knew it had been months since he had talked to anyone. He had small hopes that everyone would accept him back. He didn't know for sure though and didn't want to take the chance of losing everyone twice. He felt like everyone was better off without him.

"It's a little more complicated than that, Elon. I don't think I could handle it." Mido stated, but Elon cut him off.

"Handle what? You never gave them a chance to forgive you," Mido took his turn cutting Elon off.

"I don't deserve forgiveness," he said forcefully. "I don't want to bother anybody about it. I need more time to think."

"You have had time. And what exactly do you think you'd be bothering anybody with? Being a better person?"

"That's not it," he said. Then he heard it. It was faint and at first he didn't think he had actually heard anything at all. Elon continued to shout in his tiny aggravated voice. Mido was hardly hearing any of it. He was listening intently to the other sounds of the forest to see if his could distinguish what it was he thought he heard. If it was what he thought, the two of them would need to leave at once.

"Mido, you seriously have to stop this," Elon said. He was getting increasingly annoyed with the look of concentration on his charges face that he knew was not focused on his rant. He flew down into his face to see if he could better get his point across. He took a deep breath, about to begin his ramblings anew, when Mido suddenly grabbed him in both of his hands. Elon was enraged at the gesture.

"What are you doing? How _dare _you?" his muffled shout came from in between Mido's enclosed fingers. Though Elon didn't realize the gravity of the situation, Mido kept a level head as he explained.

"Hush, Elon," he whispered urgently yet calmly to his entrapped fairy, "we're not alone in the forest, and I don't know it they are friends." He could feel the grumbles on his fingers that emitted from the small creatures' mouth.

He could hear them more clearly now. Hoof beats. They were getting really close. Each clop was easily discernable through the trees. His heart beat more wildly inside his chest. The sound was too close for them to run away at that point. They would surely be spotted.

"We're going to have to hide," he relayed to his fairy. "If we make a break for the village, whoever it is we're hearing could see us. I don't know where they're headed and I don't want to lead them straight to the rest of the village if they mean harm." Elon nodded in agreement.

"That's a good idea. I have one too. I could distract him to let you escape unseen. I could fly into his face and-"

"No," Mido cut off briskly. "I don't want you to be in any danger either." At this, Leon's light shown a little more brightly. He gave an assenting nod and alit on Mido's shoulder as he dimmed his light. Mido knelt down into a medium sized bush and waited. He didn't have to wait long though.

He held his breath as a tall figure came into view a few seconds after he had settled into silence under his bush. The gorgeous auburn mare that clip-clopped leisurely into his sight gave a skeptical sniff in the bush's direction but the rider did not seem to take notice. From his position, Mido could not get a complete glimpse of the rider, though there was something familiar about the whole scene being displayed before him. He had no idea where the thought came from.

The rider passed with a hapless flourish. When he turned his back to Mido's hiding place, he caught sight of a green tunic.

On a radical impulse, Mido leapt from his harboring bush and revealed himself. The rider turned abruptly in his saddle in search of the sudden movement. He had a defensive look in his eyes that made him look feral and reactive. Then he caught sight of the small Kokiri boy who had jumped from the bushes and startled him. His look of danger changed to a perplexed expression. The two simply started at one another.

"What are you doing, Mido?" Elon whispered frantically into the boys' ear. Mido gave a prodding look to the man upon the horse.

"You're that guy from before, right?" Mido asked. His question was so vague that Elon actually palmed his forehead. There was a minutely comedic popping sound that followed.

Then man looked confused for a second.

"You know Saria," Mido stated to clear up his ambiguous question. Then the man smiled.

He turned to rummage through one of his traveling pouches. From within, he pulled a small blue ocarina and held it out for Mido to see. Mido relaxed and let out a sigh and a laugh of relief. The man was not a threat.

"It is good to see you again," the man stated with a smile.

"It's been a few months," Mido replied. Then a thought erupted in his head. "Did you see Saria?" He asked hurriedly. He was eager to know of his missing friends' safety.

Then man had a pondering look on his face as if he was struggling to recall a distant memory; or about how much he should reveal. He swung a leg over the side of his horse and hopped down on his own two feet. He stretched his back until there was a wet pop and straightened out again. He turned to face the Kokiri.

"Saria," he said slowly. "She is safe." Mido sagged his shoulders in relief once again. This was a very fruitful day.

"Do you know where she is? Can I see her?" Mido asked excitedly. The man had a pained expression upon his features that slightly disheartened the boy.

"I cannot say that I know how to find her again," the man said. Mido looked down with dismay. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. At least I know that she's okay. I've gone so long without any kind of news about my friends." Mido confided. One of the man's eyebrows arched ever so slightly.

"Friends?" he asked. "As in, there are more than just Saria who are missing?"

"Yes. One other." Mido said. The man took on another perplexed expression.

"Who is your other friend? I've been traveling a lot and I've seen a lot of people. Maybe I've seen them." The man offered. Mido look skeptic and hopeful all at once.

"If I saw him again, he probably wouldn't think we were friends." Mido started.

"Oh?" the man said in reply.

"He left our village a long time ago. I… wasn't the nicest person ever when he was around." Mido said sadly. He looked down and hugged his arms close around his torso. "I guess you could say I was jealous of him. After he was gone though, I started to see that I never really dislike him. And when Saria left," at this he had to stop himself. "I didn't have anyone left. No one liked me. I didn't even like me," Mido looked frustrated at that part. The man chuckled. Mido glared up at him in response. The man kneeled down in the grass in front of the small boy.

"You're feeling remorse." He said plainly.

"Well I got that part." He replied bluntly. The man chuckled again.

"It's okay to feel that way. It means you feel bad for what you did. That means you're going in the right direction. When you start to feel sorry for your actions, and you do good things, people will forgive you." He flashed a big grin to the child. "I would."

"I don't know," Mido trailed.

"You're a good person. You always were on the inside; you just couldn't see it for yourself."

Mido stared at the man long and hard at his last statement.

"Do I know you?" he asked. He was getting really suspicious about the guy.

"From the last time I met you, yes." He said.

"No," Mido said, "I mean before now and back then. Have we met before you played me Saria's song?" They eyed each other.

"Do I look like someone you knew?" he goaded. Mido started into his face. His eyebrows were scrunched up as he contemplated.

"You look kind of like…" he began. But he stopped himself "No, that can't be it."

"Oh? Who did you think I looked like?" the man asked.

"Well, I thought you might have looked like the guy I was talking about." The man smiled which kind of unnerved the small Kokiri boy.

"What was his name?" He asked simply. Mido was beginning to catch on, but he wasn't sure of himself.

"His name was," he started. Then he stopped again. It wasn't possible.

"I'm going to take a guess that you haven't seen this friend of yours in about seven years." There was a look of mild surprise on Mido's face. He half believed what the man was saying, but doubt still lingered in full force. It wasn't possible!

"Yes, that's right." He confirmed. He started to take a step back as the realization was finally setting in.

"I have been traveling for seven years." He continued, still with the goofy grin on his face.

"S-So?" Mido asked. He was tired of being toyed with. _Just say it already!_

"I'm not a Kokiri, he said, "But I do remember having a fair amount of Kokiri friends when I was growing up. Mido's jaw dropped.

"You! You're-" he stammered.

"It's me," he concluded.

"Link?" Mido asked of the man, still in disbelief. He smiled even bigger than before and gave a reassuring nod. "But- How? You're big!" he exclaimed. Link laughed.

"Grown up is the term, I think." He sat back on his rump and crossed his legs. Grown up indeed… "I am a Hylian."

Mido also sat down across from his newfound "friend." "How did this happen?" Link launched into his story.

"I found out after I had already grown up that I wasn't a Kokiri. When I was a baby, my mother, who was Hylian, brought me to the Great Deku Tree. She was dying and asked the Tree to take me in. So he allowed me to live among all of you until I was ready to leave the forest on my own." It was simply and sweet. Mido was bewildered.

"I always knew you were different. Just not _that _different." Link laughed again. They sat quietly for a minute. "Did you really mean what you said?"  
>Link looked on for a moment, and then nodded.<br>"I do forgive you," he said. Mido smiled a weak smile.

"You'd be the first."

"I told you," a small forgotten voice erupted from the ground next Mido's hand. Elon had sat himself there and now found the time to speak again. "I said all you needed to do was talk to them. People are more forgiving than you take them for." Mido watched his fairy flash brightly for a second as Link looked between the two of them. "At least try," Elon pleaded. Mido looked up at Link.

"I'd say go for it. You don't have anything to lose, and everything to gain. Show them that you're sorry and you really mean it." Mido looked into Link's face.

"Okay," he said in an almost defeated voice. But it was also hopeful and relieved. He had let his friends convince him to do what he had wanted to do all this time. Where he didn't have courage before, he felt backed by his friends and it felt good. He smiled.  
>Elon gave an excited exclamation and flew in a circle around his charge's head. "Alright! Let's go! Come on!" He was already flying the direction of the village. Mido started after him as Link was getting up from the grass he was sitting on. Mido looked back.<p>

"You'll come back to visit the rest of the Kokiri sometime, right?"

"Yes, definitely." Link replied.

Mido beamed at him then disappeared between the trees.

Link led Epona through the foliage on foot until he could see more and more of the vastness of Hyrule field. The feelings of elation, anticipation, excitement, all coursed through him. He was glad to be in a place he could call his home. All the people he once knew, he was looking forward to seeing them again immensely.

The one whom he was the most excited about seeing again was Zelda.

He wanted to tell her all about his travels and what he had done. He wished he could spend all the time he wanted with his old friend. Of course, he knew that she would probably be busy and all, but he hoped that she would be pleased to see him again too. He could feel his face heat up as it reddened slightly.

'_Where did that come from?' _he wondered to himself as he rubbed his cheek with his wrist. He dismissed it altogether, though, as the last of the greenery fell away from him and his mare. They stopped.

It was even more beautiful than the last time had seen it. A gentle breeze tugged at his clothing and the grass danced all around him to nature's melody.

He took a deep breath of Hyrule's fresh air.

"Come on, Epona, let's go."

0000

Life at Hyrule Castle Market had improved greatly since Ganon's reign as the Evil King. After the final battle of good and evil, everything dark and dangerous seemed to fell away from the world. The remnants of the dark tower that had once loomed over the land menacingly had all fallen into its surrounding pit of lava and the earth took its own revenge upon it by surging forth with mud and rubble and burying the entire thing. It was a beautiful disaster. There was such a mess from the mudslide and the ground was so unsteady that it would have been unwise to build anything upon the mound of earth. But there needed to be a new castle. So the people began construction on a new castle but it was to be set into the western wall of the small town.

Life was beginning again in Hyrule. Even months after Ganon's defeat at the hands of the Hero of Time, people were still celebrating their liberation. It was a new era.

Though, where there was celebration, there was also mourning for those who were lost during the struggle for freedom from Ganon's iron fist. The unstable land around where the former Hyrule Castle stood was being cultivated into a new cemetery. Anyone who had lost relatives during the war was given permission to bury their dead at the new cemetery. Along with the new Western Castle, some of the materials were being put aside for a monument that would be the centerpiece of the graveyard. It was to be a grand homage to the lost. It was still in the process of being built, however, so no one knew what it was going to look like. It was a common subject of conversation.

There was one other thing that was most talked about among the inhabitants of the Castle Market. That was the return of the Sheikah. The entire race that was once thought to have completely died out was making a comeback that had everything reeling. There were suddenly so many Sheikah living amongst the new and old towns of Hyrule. It had appeared that they came out of hiding, but from where? Where was there such a place that could house so many people that no one knew about. There were no answers to these questions. The Sheikah simply began appearing after Ganon had been removed from power.

It was all very exciting. Link had raced across Hyrule field for hours to be welcomed to the new and improving market. Everyone was busy and bustling about like it had when he was a child. He was sat upon Epona in front of the drawbridge and he gazed inside at everyone and their beautifully simple lives. He took in a deep breath of longing. Things were just like they used to be. And Link was happy.

He spurred his mare gently towards the bridge and she gladly obliged, clip-clopping onto the treated wood and into the crowds. He held the reigns loosely as he glanced around in wonder. Things had changed a lot, he mused. There was no longer a castle to the north and it was almost unsettling. He did note that there was a production happening at the western part of the market. He would have to investigate that later. He pulled up to a horses' stall and hopped off of Epona. A stable girl came over and took the reigns from him and he started to fish around inside his rupee pouch when a startling yelp brought his attention back to the girl who had taken his horse.

"Fairy Boy!" came a shrill shout of excitement. Link looked up, stunned and fumbled over his money, nearly dropping it.

"Malon?" He spluttered. He gazed at the woman before him. She was nearly nothing like the Malon he remembered. Her hair was back behind her in elaborate braids. Apart from her normal garb, she wore long leather boots that went up well past her knees. Her clothing was form fitting and purple in color and a detailed belt with many pockets for tools and the like lined her delicate waist. Her face was as bright and shinning as ever with a smile playing on her lips.

"Oh my goodness! It's so great to see you here!" she exclaimed breathlessly. She ran forward and leapt into Link's arms and spun around.

"What are you doing here?" Link asked giddily.

"I own this stable here. Dad said it would be good for business to start branching out. He stays at the ranch and I work here for the day." She explained.

"That's sounds amazing," Link was happy for her. She had always been so excited when he told her about his travels and what he'd seen. Now she was getting the chance to see it for herself. Then she gave a hearty laugh that caught Link a little off guard.

"You know, when you walked in, I didn't recognize you until you handed me Epona's reigns." She led Epona to a stall giggling and petting her old friend. He knew she was incredibly happy to see her. "Where have you been for the past few months?"

Link opened his mouth to speak but stopped short. He was about to correct her about how long he had been gone, but then he remembered that her time and his time were different. For him he had been gone for several years. Malon stared on with a questioning glance. Link smiled.

"I've been traveling." He said. He didn't want to try and explain in length at the moment what he had really been doing. _Maybe another time Malon,_ he thought to himself. She seemed to catch on a little.

"It's been wonderful seeing you. Though, now that I'm running my shop here…" she trailed off expecting Link to get her meaning. He did.

"Right," he said with a nod, "Got to keep busy." He rummaged in his pouch again to find the rupees for Epona's stay. Malon shook her head.

"Nu-uh! You don't need to be payin', mister." She tried to shove his rupees back but Link wouldn't have it.

"You've just started your new shop here?" she didn't respond. "I want to help it along." And he grabbed her hand, to which she gasped, and dropped the rupees there. He winked at her and, with a bow, exited the small stable.

"Oh, Fairy Boy," she shook her head with a soft chuckle and continued with her job.

Link didn't know where to begin. Everything was catching his eye. There were so many people! He didn't remember this many people crowding around when he was younger. He headed west, in the direction of the construction site.

Things were coming along quite nicely, he mused at the magnificent stonework creation. They had demoed a large section of the wall and were building the new castle into the plateau itself. It was a great idea. It would be very structurally sound. He looked around at all the workers' faces. They were working hard but there was a significant glint of satisfaction in their eyes. It was a contagious feeling. He walked around a bit more to see if he could find the one in charge of the project. He spotted his quarry. As he got closer, he thought he recognized the figure looming in his vision. At first, he shook it off thinking it wasn't who he thought it was. But the nearer he got to the person, his doubts left him. He was within touching distance to the person.

"Zelda?"

Standing before Link was a stout figure in a blue and grey rags with the Sheikan symbol adorning their front. The person looked rather astounded to here the name.

A long pause followed Link's questioning word. They couldn't find the right words to say, it seemed, for they stumbled in their words for a few second, and then looked back up at Link.

"Who are you?"

Link frowned, crestfallen. Had Zelda forgotten him that quickly?

"What? Zelda it's me, Link," he said gesturing at himself. They simply stared at him.

"Excuse me, but my name isn't Zelda," they said. Link was confused for a second then he realized something.

"Oh," he said, "you just don't want to attract too much attention to yourself now that everyone is back in town, right? I got it." But they just shook their head.

"No, I mean that my name isn't Zelda. My name is Sheik." they said calmly, yet also with a mixture of irritation and apprehension.

"But," he said to himself. Then he pondered hesitantly. He looked up again. "I'm sorry I mistook you for-"

"For the princess." They cut across. Link nodded sheepishly.

"Yes. Do you know where she is?" he asked of Sheik. The boy just stared at Link thought to himself that this was some mean and elaborate hoax and he just wanted Zelda to show herself to him already.

"I think we have some matters to discuss," he said. "Will you please, follow me," he said. Link blinked a few times then followed the Sheikah reluctantly.

They walked through the construction sight of the new castle and into one of the side doors. It really had come a long way. There were already several stories and a great hall was visible to the outside. A guard still stood beside the gate, protecting the castle from unwanted visitors. Sheik walked up to him and conversed in a voice too inaudible for Link's keen ears. When the guard nodded, he walked over to a lever, which he pulled. Sheik walked back over to Link and motioned for him to follow again. They walked through the gate and up a path lined with more guards, to whom Sheik waved. Sheik walked on quietly and seemingly despondent. Link was confused beyond all reason but for some cause, remained silent and followed Sheik without question. He had an unexplained trust for him as he thought he knew him for most of his adventure in his endeavors to save Hyrule. But then why didn't he know Link from before. It must have been Zelda, he concluded. But still he trusted Sheik. The Sheik standing before him now anyway…

Sheik stopped before a door and gestured for Link to stop.

"What," said Link after a long pause, "did we need to talk about, Sheik?"

"What happened to Zelda the last time you saw her and why did you think I was she?" asked Sheik meaningfully. Link answered confusedly.

"The last time I saw her," said Link, "was during the final battle with Ganondorf."

"You fought Ganondorf?" Sheik said skeptically, taking in the young Hylian's form in disbelief. Link was a little miffed at that.

"Yes, Zelda and I both teamed up against him. She used her magic and I used the Master Sword." Sheik's eyes widened at that part. It was a look of realization, like he had just fitted together the last piece of a puzzle and could see the whole picture. "Zelda, to disguise herself from Ganondorf, dressed herself as a Sheikah and took on your name as her alias." Link concluded.

The simple explanation put a shocked face on Sheik. Link still had no idea of the goings on.

"When did this happen?" asked the Sheikah.

"For me about seven years ago," he explained. Then he told of his tale in Hyrule seven years ago with the master sword and their attempt to take the Triforce before the Gerudo King could.

"Then after returning to my original time, I found Zelda again and told her what I had done. She told me that, to keep my time from overlapping, I would have to leave Hyrule until the 7 years were up."

"I see," said Sheik.

"Alight. Now that this is cleared up, what happened to Zelda? Where is she?" he looked expectantly at Sheik's sullen face, searching for an answer. None came for a while. But then Sheik looked up at the door they had stopped at longingly.

"Well?" Link asked again. Sheik hesitated.

"I'm sorry to say," said Sheik very slowly, yet dangerously, "but, Link," he looked down again.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry to say that the princess, Zelda, is dead."

Then there was a stony silence.

Link felt many feelings come upon him at that moment, and they didn't comfort him in the least. After staring at Sheik for the longest time, he looked down in shock and started to stutter. Calming himself and attempting to keep his feelings from showing with difficulty, he asked a one word question that voiced many.

"How," he managed to squeak.

"I don't know," replied Sheik.

He opened the door they had rested at and Link peered inside.

He had set foot in a giant indoor garden, complete with a pond and enormous sunroof. Link was in awe by the setting. He gaped upward. Sheik had come up behind him and cleared his throat.

Link's gaze brought down, he finally saw what Sheik had intended him to.

On the floor where there was no stonework, lay two mounds of dirt with one headstone. Two names lay upon it as there were two graves in this sorrowful room.

Zelda Arum Hyrule

Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule

The room rang with a resounding silence that nearly unbearable. Link resisted the urge to cover his ears, no matter the futility of the action. Link's sense of being was a hazy stream of details that were unwanted by him. He didn't fully understand that Zelda was completely gone. It just didn't click. He half expected to see her walk right in the door to chat with them like her old self. Link was getting extremely anxious and quite exhausted. Reality was about to catch up to him followed by frightening emotions he wasn't ready to face just yet. He honestly had no idea he had feelings for the Princess at all…

"Will you attend Zelda's Ball?" Sheik asked of him. Link looked up a little dazed. The mention of the late princess' name threw him off even more than he already was. He responded with a questioning gaze. "There will be a memorial service once the Western Castle is completed. Everyone is invited to pay their respects." Sheik recited regally. Link took it in and nodded.

"Yes, of course," he conceded. "I would also like to help out with anything you might need me for," Link offered. Sheik's expression had an irritated twitch to it again.

"That won't be necessary." He said. Link was a little hurt by the brunt of his reply.

"Please," Link said meekly. He didn't mean to sound so pathetic but he achieved it with great success. Sheik let out a tiny breath.

"Come whenever you like. We're always working." Then Sheik walked around the rooted Hylian and left the sanctuary without another word. Link waited until he was sure he could no longer hear any footsteps then he let out the shaky breath he had been holding.  
>After all he had done for Hyrule and he couldn't save the most important person who lived and ruled it?<p>

He wept freely. But only for a moment. It was frustrating for him that someone so special had to die like this. It was unfair. After composing himself, Link, having no offering for the two graves, merely knelt into the earth and in both his hands respectively, took a handful of soil from the two burial places. With a small prayer, he let the dirt trickle from his fingertips.

It was then he felt the need to leave. There was terrible tugging in his chest that made him ache.

Link quietly closed the door behind him. Then with a wave of grief, he shut his eyes tight as more tears threatened to escape and ran away from the beautiful room as fast he could. Down the hall and through the easy to find entrance he raced as he felt his breathing stop completely from the giant knot in his throat. He didn't want to think about anything at all. There was just too much pain. It took Link several minutes before he realized what he was doing. In a daze, he had stopped running about the time he reached the market. He was then sitting against the well in the center of the square.

One thought crossed his mind that made him sick.

'_Why didn't I stay?'_ he thought. He knew he could've helped her. Then she'd still be…

He growled in anger and pulled at his hair.

"Either that or I shouldn't have come back.


	2. Chapter 2

Settling Down

There comes a time in a person's life where one must think about what they're going to do with the rest of it. You haven't exactly lived out all of your youthful days, and you're not entirely old enough to just do nothing for the rest of your life. So what do you do next? You settle down. You find a job, a house, a wife, start a family… and those just cover the basics.

Link _hated _the thought of settling down. It wasn't his style in a manner. But then, what choice did he have? He was back home in Hyrule and there was no great evil to slay any longer.

Presently, it was the dead of night and Link was on his way to Kakariko Village. He had signed up to work on the Western Castle and he was hired on near instantly. His build was just the type needed for the work requirements. He had a job. Link scoffed at the thought as it flew out of his mind like a mingling butterfly. It was only temporary. When the castle was finished being built, he would no longer be needed.

He was in a very agitated mood just then. He had had a long day. I mean a really long day. The news of Zelda's death had put him in his sour mood. He had not expected that twist at all when he decided to trek back to his homeland initially. It had taken quite a bit of mental preparation on his part to make the move. He was quite happy with his nomadic lifestyle and it took a lot to find within him the want to come back.

The main pushing factor had been Zelda. Now that she was gone from his life completely, he almost didn't want to have anything to do with Hyrule anymore. It was a very sharp turn in his thoughts from the start of the day and it was draining on him.

The reason he was headed for Kakariko was because there were no empty rooms available for him to stay in the Castle Market. He would have wanted to stay closer for his work but everything was absolutely packed. He was advised to try the neighboring village. Seething slightly at his luck, he packed all of things and made way for Kakariko. Malon hadn't been at the stable when he went to retrieve Epona. It would have been nice to see her once more that day. She could always, without fail, put an awkward smile on his face. His lips quivered a bit into a half grin at the thought of her.

Then the thoughts of 'settling down' and 'wife' wiped the grin from him entirely. He was tired of life's little games. He was really just tired in general. He needed a place to stay.

Speaking of which, how was he going to get someone awake at the hour it was to get him a room? He had no intention of dealing with more people that night. He didn't have a problem with camping so that's what he decided he would do. He would set up a small camp outside of the village entrance. He could see that very entrance just a little ways away. He wouldn't have long to go. He closed his eyes as Epona's slow clip-clopping lulled him into a light slumber…

_There were three people standing at the bridge to the Gerudo's Fortress. There were two female and one male. Link thought that was odd. There usually weren't many men that just roamed around the fortress._

_The two females were indeed Gerudo folk. Well, one of them definitely was. But the other seemed too light skinned to be accepted among the tribe of thieves. It was a wonder, though, that you could see her skin under all the bandages she wore. Had she been injured? What was the situation that was taking place before him? The two females were talking in low whispers while the boy tended to some horses a ways away. Then all three of them jerked their heads in the same direction. There was a new arrival blocking the path that lead across the bridge. They all had scared looks on their faces. He wondered why. The arrival was one lone Gerudo and she didn't look so tough. _

_She started to speak but Link couldn't understand her. It was like it was in a different language while speaking through a pillow. Everything was muffled to him. She had a defiant stance to her and she looked very angry. _

_The one definite Gerudo talking with the injured 'Gerudo,' stepped in front and began talking in the same blurred tones. Link couldn't tell at all what was happening. _

_Then there was a startling whinny and a horse came galloping out of nowhere! It rammed into the three girls and they went tumbling over the bridge. Link reached out to grab them. He couldn't let them fall. Then he tripped over the edge of the cliff he was peering down and was falling to his death. Falling, falling…_

Link jerked awake when his dream self had plunged headfirst into the watery depths below. He was tensed and his whole body ached with fatigue. He let out a long sigh as he calmed himself.

'_What was that about?'_ he wondered idly. Who were the people he had dreamt of? He had never seen any of them before in his life. Well, he wasn't sure that that was completely true. The one Gerudo woman talking with the injured woman looked familiar, but he could not be sure if she was who he thought she was. It had been so long since he had last seen her.

Epona had come a long way since he had drifted off to sleep. They had crossed the bridge over Zora's River and were in a beeline for Kakariko. He looked up and nearly jumped out of his skin. His eyes widened in the dark as if they thought they could see better and his skin was suddenly sticky with sweat.

Someone was standing at the entrance to the village and clearly staring directly at him.

Link couldn't be sure who it was or what their intentions were. His adrenaline was pumping and he was ready for anything anyone threw at him at that moment though, so he stayed his course towards the village. As he neared, the person never moved. They simply stared. Link kept eye contact with them even though he couldn't actually see their eyes. He would not show weakness. He was close enough to speak with the person. They, however, beat him to the punch.

"Link." They said with a certain authority in their voice. Link was close enough now to get a full view of the person waiting for him and he felt very stupid. He was so busy not tearing his eyes away from the other persons' that he didn't even bother getting a good look at their whole form. It was Impa of the Sheikah who had staked out the entrance and met him.

"Impa," he said sheepishly. He was meeting all sorts of interesting people in interesting places today. The Sheikah smiled.

"It is good to see you again." She said. She never moved a muscle when she spoke, her arduous Sheikah tribe training showing.

"What are you doing here?" Link asked. He had once wondered about the sages lives. He wondered, once they entered the Sacred Realm as sages, did they stay there forever?

"I am sorry to say that I am not physically here." Link cocked his head in curiosity at her words. "We sages cannot currently leave our places in the Sacred Realm for fear of Ganon's seal weakening. Even more than it already has." Link's eyes widened.

"What? What do you mean?" It was so many questions wrapped into one. And it was another nasty shock that the peaceful Hyrule he thought he was returning to threw into his face.

"Come. We have much to discuss."

Link had a feeling about their destination. When they turned toward the set of stairs that led to Impa's former head house of the village, Link gave a small nod of satisfaction. They climbed the stairs with Link leading and he opened the door with a flourish. The inside was dark and musty, but as soon as Impa's form passed the doorframe, the room lit with torches and candles simultaneously all around. Link dropped all of his things with an exhausted heave.

"Now," she motioned for Link to sit down in a bar stool seated at a small counter for preparing food. He took a seat and looked across at her expectantly. He thought for a minute about why she didn't take a seat herself, but then realized she probably didn't need to if she was merely a projection of her original self. "As you well know, I do not occupy this home anymore and what with the absence of refugees, no one else lives here either." Link was about to interrupt, "And as well as I know, you do not have a place to stay since returning to Hyrule." Link gave a huff of affirmation. He was too modest to completely accept her unspoken offer, but, also, too broke to decline it. "You may have this house." Now Link would speak up.

"I can't do that! I mean, it's yours. I'll save up money to get my own place-" he began, his jumbled thoughts spilling forth from his lips without order. Impa held up what Link now realized to be a translucent hand. He stopped.

"It is a small gift from us sages for your help saving Hyrule." Link had to give her that one, but he wouldn't tell her that. He was too used to doing things on his own. Well, not completely 'on his own.' He felt a small pang of longing for his fairy friend…

"I'll stay tonight and go from there," he said knowing that she knew he had no other options. He felt cornered, but not in a bad way. Even now, he was eyeing the bed on the other side of the room. It was very late into the night.

"You are welcome to stay as long as you need to," she said with a grin. "Onto more pressing matters," she said and then began to tell of the happenings of the last few months since he'd been gone.

"I'm sure you're aware of Princess Zelda." Impa said matter-of-factly. Link gave a slow nod.

"Do you know the cause of her death?" Link had been yearning for this information even if it meant he would feel more responsible for her death than he already did. Impa almost seemed like she wouldn't say at first. But Link's set expression told her he was determined to get an answer. She sighed.

"The cause of her death was a magical overdose." She replied. Link looked confused. He didn't understand completely the ways of magic users. "She used so much of her power in the fight to defeat Ganon that it over exhausted her body and ultimately shut it down." Link looked to the floor. He thought back to all the times she had used magic. She held the King of Evil down for Link to strike him. That must have taken a lot by itself. Then she called the other sages to seal him away. Then they were transported to the Sacred Realm after the battle. That must have been her too. And she sent him back in time… His face fell into his hands.

"I should have stopped her," he felt terrible. Impa allowed him a moment's peace. Then she spoke again.

"Her body has not been recovered." She stated so simply. Link ear twitched at this.

"But I saw a grave site. For her and the King." He said.

"Yes, but only the King's remains lay beneath the earth there." She paused again. "After Ganon was sealed, there was nothing holding the ruins of his tower above that pit. It tumbled below into the lava which shifted the unstable ground and it was completely covered as if it had never been." Impa didn't have to say what she meant by telling him this. She thought Zelda's body was buried in the land slide.

"She can't be there, can she? She was with me, when we went to the Sacred Realm."

"I can only guess, but I think the two of you never went to the Sacred Realm after the final battle." He was skeptical but then the thought came, who else would know if they were there than a resident of the place? "I think she projected an image of herself into your mind to make you think that you had gone there."

"But why would she do that?" he was angry with her for a reason he didn't know. He wanted her to be alive and she wasn't. That must be it, for however stupid it sounded in his mind.

"She was protecting you." That caught Link off guard.

"What?" he said, pulling his body straighter to look Impa in the face.

"She knew she had exerted her body passed its limits. She didn't want you to know that she was dying. Really, she only prolonged you finding out about it. She didn't want you to be hurt by it." Link stared in disbelief as she finished her statement.

"That doesn't make any sense," he said. But then something happened that Link would remember for the rest of his life and it would haunt him.

A sharp pain wrought across his temples and his head blurred until the candle lit cabin disappeared from his vision and a new setting took its place before his eyes. He was back at the castle ruins where he had dealt the final blow to Ganon's face and he and Zelda sealed him away. Ganon had just disappeared with a brilliant flash and then everything was eerily quiet and destroyed. Link, before, only remembered that after that flash, they ended up in the Sacred Realm. This was all new to him.

He felt himself look up at the sky which had recently boasted looming dark clouds but now was showing its blue tint on the rubble below.

Link let the light touch his features and relished in it like he would never get the chance again. He laughed.

"It's finally over," he quoted Zelda from earlier. He began to turn to where he knew the Princess to be. "See, Zelda? That wasn't so h-" He trailed off as he laid his eyes on the heap of white and pink fabric strewn on the ground that was Princess Zelda.

"Zelda!" he shouted desperately. He let his sword and shield fall to the ground with loud clangs and rushed over to the girl, not paying any heed to the rumbling that shook his feet. The floating island was beginning to fall. Link only had eyes for the already fallen Princess.

"Zelda?" he reached her and slid on his knees to kneel beside her and turn her to face him. She wasn't breathing. He held her propped up on his knee and went to reach for her face to feel her skin, but as soon as his fingers made contact, his whole body froze and Zelda's glazed eyes peered into his deeply. Then his mind blanked.

His memory transitioned to his meeting with Zelda in the "sky" which he had earlier believed to be the Sacred Realm. But he knew differently now. His memory of what happened after he stabbed Ganon had pushed its way back after being suppressed for seven years. Just as the vision was fading from his minds' eye, he thought he saw a couple of shadowed blurs that caught the fake Princess' attention. Then he went under once again.

He came back to reality where Impa was shouting his name. He opened his eyes, which had previously been squeezed shut, to see his white knuckles and the floorboards. He had fallen to the ground on his hands and knees. His head hurt something fierce and he was shuddering. He took a steadying breath.

"I'm okay," he said to the floor. Impa stopped yelling. He slowly began to pull himself back up into his chair.

"What the hell happened?" Impa demanded, her earlier poise demeanor now demolished with worry wrinkles lining her face. Link sat in his chair holding his head, pressing his palms against his temples, willing the pressure head ache to dissipate. His eyes were clenched shut again as his ears started ringing. All this on his senses was tiring him even more. He took another steadying breath.

"You were right." He stated clearly. Impa cocked her head to the side with a questioning stare. Link continued, "About Zelda. She used the last of her power to trick me into thinking she was okay and then sent me back in time." Hot tears stung in his eyes. He was so full of sorrow and anger, he felt like he was about to explode. The days' events were overcoming his will to remain calm.

"How do you know this?" He explained the repressed memory that had resurfaced when he had fallen. She adopted a mildly bemused expression that held for the rest of her visit. She nodded as he concluded.

"I shall let the other sages know about what you have just told me." Link gave an affirming nod. Then he remembered her words from the beginning of their conversation.

"You said something about the seal on Ganondorf weakening. What is happening with that?" Link asked of the sage. She looked into his face somberly.

"We are doing all we can. Since Zelda's death," her face took on a pained expression, "The death of a sage weakens the bond of the sages as a whole. Basically, it's like there were 7 parts a lock that worked with each other as an interwoven core. With one part of it missing, it could stay together, but it could also fall apart easily."

Link figured something like this was the cause. It still hit a little hard. All that work, time, everything he had sacrificed to stop Ganon, could have been for nothing. He thought about Zelda and her actions. There's no way she could have know that what she did could have caused this. He wouldn't believe that she might have known that this would happen. Unless there was something she knew that could be done about it.

"Is there no way to fix this?" Link asked pleadingly. The way she looked at him didn't ease his wandering mind.

"I have been and will continue to search for an answer to this. In the mean time, I will leave you to your thoughts." A small pause. "I am sorry you had to return to this. I am sure it was not the Princess's intention." She turned as if she were about to leave through the door, even though she wouldn't need to. Link didn't say a word in reply.

They were quiet.

"She truly cared for you." And the sage vanished with no trace. The candles dimmed slowly and then went out completely, leaving Link to ponder in the dark. The quietness that followed was suffocating.

The last statement hurt him and he didn't know why. Was it because he felt too responsible for Zelda's death and that just added fuel to the fire? Link couldn't help but feel there was something else underlying in the whole ordeal. Everything he found out today meant something and he tried his hardest to retain it. On top of it all, he felt like Zelda wanted something from him. She wanted him to figure it all out with the minimal amount of clues and leavings from her passing. It was like there was a nagging in his mind that he needed to remember something, and that embodied the Princess. She was there, urging him to find the right pieces and put them together. Only all that he could see before him was shattered glass that seemed impossible to repair.

He felt foolish for thinking all of this in the darkness that Impa left him in. But then, in the middle of all that, he also felt a desperate hopefulness. He needed for something to happen.

He drug his body up from his chair and slumped over to the bed in the corner where he remembered an animal pen used to reside. The whole in the wall was also replaced with a seamless repair. He paid little mind to it all. He plopped down onto the unused feather bed and it sagged graciously as if it had wanted nothing else other than to be slept in. He didn't bother to remove his traveling clothes.

Link lay in his new bed under his new roof simply staring. He was dead tired, but his mind was too awhirl. His thought tree branched off into hundreds of different directions and he couldn't control where it went. He remained like that for an hour or so before his mind gave in to delirium and he drifted off into a fitful slumber where nightmares reflected his ponderings and feelings.

_In his dream world, there were a hundred Zeldas and each one of them was in grave peril where Link could do nothing to help. Every time he reached out to one of them who were falling indefinitely, another would call out for his help and he'd turn towards her fearful tones and witness each apparition fall before him. He couldn't get to any in time. He felt glued to the spot as he was surrounded by the Princess's corpses. His breathing quickened, his heart rate shot up, he was so distressed tears began to pour unchecked down his face, he sobbed and apologized to each individual Zelda for not being there for her. He fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands and continued to sob indiscriminately._

_Then everything silenced. Link barely took notice, only continued to apologize to nothing. He felt so very alone and desolate. _

_There was a nagging feeling inside at the edge of his unconscious that began to bother him. He had stopped crying but continued to hug himself tightly. The nagging soon became a tapping on his back and it annoyed him greatly. It got his full attention finally and he looked up. He was surrounded by blackness. There weren't anymore Zeldas to be seen. Once he had looked up the tapping had stopped; he stood. It was at that point that his consciousness became aware that he was dreaming. He looked ahead at the darkness wondering what it wanted with him. He started to turn his head to look to the side, but as soon as his eyes tore away from the space before him, a small orb of light appeared there and he noticed it out of the corner of his eye. He turned back abruptly. It floated there innocently at chest height a little ways ahead of him. Link started at it wonderingly. Everything felt tight and tense, like something was about to implode and suck all the air out of him. He was suffocating. His mind wasn't registering any options to escape. He stood there, helplessly as his life was drained from him. It was dizzying. _

'_Step forward.'_

_It wasn't anything audible, Link felt the words wash over him and give him a small amount of clarity to comprehend what they meant. He put to action the words and moved his left foot in the direction of the orb. As soon as his foot came down, at once, the tension ceased. He stood there dazedly as he regained his dream awareness. The orb still floated there._

_Link took that as an incentive to move closer to the suspicious light. He took another step and nothing happened. Another step. Then another. He was upon the light and it did nothing to acknowledge his presence. It was unyielding in its glowing. _

_Link wasn't sure what this light wanted from him. It just sat there as he gazed upon it. There was nothing else remotely interesting about it. The nagging feeling started up again. _

'_What do you want?' he thought to himself. He kept his eyes fixed on the light as the tapping grew in intensity. His arm raised almost without his volition, though he was curious all the same. He reached for the orb. _

_When his middle finger made contact with the core of it, everything exploded in shredded light. It was like torn pieces of cloth were flying from the tiny ball in every direction to create a sky and land around him. Link's head whipped around to take all the brightness in. _

_He was standing in a field. It wasn't Hyrule field. At least, not any part he recognized. Everything was still and serene. Then, something just below his eye level began to form. _

_It was misty at first but it took shape. It was a person. They were sitting upon the ground with their face hidden in their knees. Link started to make his way towards them. As he approached and their form solidified even more, Link saw that the person was a female. Sorrow emanated from her very being. He could feel her sadness within himself and it made him want to cry. _

'_Are you alright?' he thought in his mind. The girl didn't reply. He stopped a few paces away from her. Neither moved. _

_A flicker of movement caused Link to turn to his right. Another person had formed there. They, however, were standing. A man, looking strong and resilient, a dark cloak flowing around him elegantly, stood looking on at the prone girl between them. He didn't take any notice of Link, just simply stood staring, his expression unreadable. Link then felt obligated to look to his left where another form was appearing. His breath caught as the next mist took on the shape of none other than Ganondorf. _

_Just as the cloaked man hadn't taken notice of him, Ganondorf followed suit and ignored Link. He was also looking on at the girl they were surrounding. He had a malicious look in his eyes that sickened Link. He was about to call out to the girl when a shimmering from the grass below his feet distracted him. A golden light enveloped the space he stood in. It made a triangle that he was standing in the middle of. He was dazzled by the brightness and purity of it. Happiness washed over him for an instant as he relished in this light. Then he looked up to see that the cloaked man and Ganondorf both had triangles at their feet as well. They made up the Triforce. Link understood the connection that he had to Ganondorf, but he had never met the other man. What did this mean?_

_Then he caught sight of the center of the Triforce where the girl had been. All he saw was darkness that spilled over the edges of the golden triangles. The girl remained where she was as the darkness slowly swallowed her. _

'_Wait!' he cried and reached out for her. _

_She looked up into his eyes._

He awoke in his bed and his eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling. He was momentarily confused as to why there was even a roof over his head at all before the events with Impa unfolded in his memory. He let out a breath he had not realized he was holding. A throb wrought across his temples and he winced. His palms instinctively kneaded his forehead where the pain erupted from. It didn't recede. With a groan he picked himself up from his cot and made his way over to the window.

A water basin filled with the clear liquid peered up at him invitingly. He dipped his fingers into the cool water and splashed his tired face a couple times. He stood at the window dripping water from his chin, eyelashes, and fingers, and watched the moonlight slowly creeps its way up the glass. The coolness from the wetness soothed his aching head a bit.

The girl in his dream, she wasn't anyone he was familiar with. He had never met her. He had, however, dreamed of her before. She was the injured Gerudo from his last nightmare. It was only a few hours ago, though it seemed longer to him. He really had no idea who she was. He assumed that he dreamed of her because his subconscious remembered her face from one of the few visits he made to the Gerudo Valley. Consciously though, he couldn't remember ever seeing her before. From what he dreamed of, she had very short auburn hair and skin darker than his, but lighter than any Gerudo he had met. From what he remembered of the Gerudo, they seemed to mostly have extremely long hair tied back. Why was her hair so short then? There was uniformity among the race of thieves he could clearly see. The lower class ones wore a violet garb and a mask over their mouths, the ones a grade higher wore white, and then there were the fighters who wore red with masks as well. Nabooru and the one woman who gave him his freedom to walk among the Valley were completely different. But none of them had short hair. She was different from the Gerudo.

It was then that Link felt the heaviness of his traveling cloak he had not removed before he fell asleep. He unclasped the front of it and it crumpled to the floor around his feet. He removed his belt and gauntlets and started to pull his tunic over his head when a glint from outside the window caught his eye. He pulled the fabric over his head and leaned over the basin to get a good look out the window.

There was what looked like a scuffle happening near the entrance of the village. From what Link could see, there were about two or three people in night dresses and carrying lanterns. There was some raised voices but he couldn't discern anything intelligible. There were two horses and a black one adorned a rider who couldn't seem to sit up right. The second horses' rider was standing beside the two mares and making gestures toward the slumped figure. Link thought he heard the word 'help' in the shouting. Then there was a frantic scurrying as the slumped form on the black horse completely slid off the side and tumbled to the ground. Two women hurried over and carried the fallen one between them and walked awkwardly to a nearby house. The lanterns followed and everything was dark once more.

'_What was that about?' _Link wondered for the second time that night. He soon shrugged and removed his last remaining sleep intruding article of clothing, his boots, and trudged back to his cot.

**Author's note:** I'm well aware that some of the Gerudo do, in fact, have short hair, but in my story they do not for intents and purposes.

Thank you for reading! I want to have more chapters up what with the holidays fast approaching so keep checking in.


	3. Chapter 3

New Faces

'_Everything is set in place, young one. It is time,' _a firm voice washed over him like a fierce gale.

He was used to the feeling. By now, nothing fazed him. It was a chore now to hear the words, knowing their meaning. His surroundings melted from his vision and blurred together. Everything was black for a moment, and then light began to appear in patches like puzzle pieces forming a bigger picture. Soon, an entire field of luscious, green grass that swayed in a mesmerizing motion revealed itself to him. He stood elegantly as a light wind danced its way across the grass to tussle his long cloak.

"Where to begin?" he said to himself. He turned his gaze to take in all around him. Before him was a vast field of nothing. Just at its borders he could see signs of civilizations. That meant lots of walking. Behind him, a little ways away, lay a thicket. He rolled the words of his objective around in his mind.

'_There are two catastrophes you must eradicate to prevent the fall of this land. The fall of this land means the fall of mankind.'_

His assignment was shorter than usual, though they generally held the same meaning. If he didn't succeed, everyone loses. He couldn't remember when he started caring about however many people his actions affected. The tiny, faraway houses and a hint of a castle glinted at him from across the plains. He sighed inwardly. It may look peaceful now, but that was about to change.

Something felt slightly familiar to him about the way the wind drew across the green blades of grass and the way the sky smiled brightly down on him. It felt like he had once stood in this particular spot sometime before in his existence. He shook it off.

He began to prepare for his trek by removing his dark traveling cloak. It was far to warm for him to go unnoticed by locals while wearing it, and he mostly tried to stay anonymous at the start of these missions. His armor remained adorned as he rolled up his sleeves, revealing unhealthily pale skin. He reached around to a small pouch that hung from his waist, opened it up and began to stuff his cloak into it unceremoniously.

This pouch was a very special pouch. It could hold an impossible amount of items, no matter its dimensions and regardless of the quantity, it felt no heavier than if it were empty. It was a very useful pouch and served the man endlessly. The making of it took a lot of tricky and advanced enchantments, something he happened to have quite a talent for.

He was a sorcerer.

Sorcerers were few and far between pretty much anywhere you went. He also concealed this part of him when he first arrived in a new place. For as many things as he had to hide from people, it was pretty tough to make new acquaintances.  
>He reached into another pack of his he had slung across his back and retrieved a long violet cap. He gathered and tied up his long silver hair and placed the hat on top. With his preparations complete, he took a step forward to begin his laborious trek towards wherever his feet decided to take him.<p>

0000

"Perfect," Link whispered to himself as he placed the last of his belongings onto the last shelf. As much as he wouldn't want to admit it, the home the Sages chose for him was quite fitting for him. He wasn't sure how long he was going to stay, but he decided that hurrying himself into a new home wasn't entirely necessary anymore. It was rude, he told himself, to toss aside the Sages' gift so quickly. He would utilize it for now.

With this new decision, he was packing away his meager belongings into different parts of the room to make himself feel more at home. It was as if he needed an excuse at that point and he was giving himself as many as possible.

As grim as things were at the start of his arrival, Link was gradually growing accustomed to his new life in Kakariko. He was making a living for himself and was making plenty of new friends. He yearned to meet up with his old friends again as well. He made a note to find some time to visit them. With the construction on the new Western Castle, there was plenty work to be done and he made decent pay. However, he knew that because of the toll on the kingdom's finances from the destruction of Ganon's reign, there wasn't much to go around between the workers and the politicians. He, personally, didn't mind the cut backs, but he did hear plenty of arguing among the laborers he worked with. Even though Ganon was gone, he had left his mark. It was very stressful.

With his new job, no rent to pay and only himself to feed, Link was putting most of everything he was making back into savings for an emergency. Everything was beginning to settle down quite smoothly.

He longed for some sort of action; something other than the dreams that plagued him as he slept. It was never the same dream, he mused. Though, they were always centered on the same person; the female Gerudo. He once thought about revisiting the Gerudo Valley just to seek out this girl. Then he thought about how weird it would be to find her and not know what to do next. Awkward scenario's played through his head when it would cross his mind to go searching. He just hoped that the dreams would stop eventually. It was very strange to dream repeatedly about someone whom he wasn't even sure if he'd met. He didn't know what to make of it.

He finished putting away his now unnecessary traveling bags and packed a small lunch for work. There was a small skip to his steps this morning as he made his way to the Kakariko tavern for his morning routine. He would start out at the Tavern to say hello to some friends (namely a certain bartender named Sally), pick up Epona at the villages' stables, and then make his way to Hyrule Castle Market. It was a rather monotonous schedule but he enjoyed it nonetheless. It was the people who made it interesting. Sally kept him updated on all of the Kingdom's gossip that she overheard from travelers in her tavern. People were always willing to talk with her. She was friendly and kept the ale refreshed.  
>The most interesting thing she conveyed to him was of the scuffle several nights ago at the village entrance. She had been one of the ones awake when the newcomers arrived but could only watch as some of the elder women hesitantly took over the situation.<p>

"I just stood by holding a light, but from what I could gather before they toted off that poor girl was the two were traveling companions and they were ambushed on the way here. The guy seemed fine but the girl was worse for wear. She was completely covered in old bloody bandages and close to passing out. She never spoke a word. The guy was yelling for someone to help her." She explained to him in a breath. Link listened on intently.

"How endearing," Link referred to the man's actions.

"You mean sickening, right?" Link, taken aback, cocked his to the side in a questioning glance. "The girl was injured but the man wasn't? Well, that says it all right there, doesn't it? It seems fishy for him to not be hurt as well if they were both ambushed. I think the whole story is bull." She finished with a huff.

"That's pretty interesting," he replied to keep with the conversation. Sally just smirked knowingly.

"That wasn't the most interesting part, though. When that injured girl fell off of her horse, I caught a glimpse of her face. I held my lantern up and you know what I saw?" At this Link shook his head. "I saw dark skin. She was from the desert. She's a Gerudo."

Link's eyes widened at this part. A female Gerudo. Bits and pieces from his dreams flashed through his mind along with an onslaught of questions. It couldn't be the same one, could it? He became excited and wanted to know more.

"Did you see what all she looked like? Like what the length of her hair was or the color of her eyes or something?" Link's sudden interest in this new girl was a little off-putting for the bartender who shut up after that and refused to say anything else on the subject no matter how much Link goaded her. He found it amusing that she jumped to jealousy so quickly when they barely knew each other and he came to _her_ doorstep every morning to say hi. He didn't bother her with it any more.

The mysterious duo never showed their faces publicly which was a slight annoyance to Link as he was itching to meet this Gerudo. It had been more than a fortnight when they made their moonlit appearance and Link was getting antsy. He craved to have more information about the new arrivals, but decided that investigating openly would look strange on his part. He wanted to silently observe.

His lack of effort was proving less than fruitful. The two new faces were still as shrouded in mystery as when he witnessed their advent. He wouldn't stray from his day job and continued his trips to the tavern and the new castle.

Shouldering his pack, he opened the door to an empty room. It wasn't odd for the place to be empty in the mornings, which is why Link visited Sally before work. He would order a nice cold beverage before he had to be out in the heat all day and Sally got her first friendly customer of the morning.

The bell sounded above his head that was triggered when the door tapped the metal and Sally looked up from her the glass she was cleaning. A big grin spread across her lips.

"Back again, hero?" she teased.

"Always," he replied without hesitation. He picked his way across the room, dodging tables and chairs, and seated himself at the bar. Before he would even say anything, Sally reached under the bar and put down his mug of refreshing sweetness before him. He smiled coyly.

"And what if I wasn't going to have the same thing today?" he asked of her. She gave him a stern look.

"Well that's just too bad then, isn't it? You get this," she pushed the mug towards his face, "and there's nothing you can do about it." She glared semi-menacingly at him and he laughed.

"Alright then," he said in defeat.

They were quiet for a while. Link sipped his drink and Sally prepped her bar for the day. Then the girl sighed and rolled her eyes. Link looked up at her.

"I've got some news for you, sir." She said a bit indignantly. Link grinned.

"And what would that be?" he asked of her teasingly.

"It's about your little Gerudo girlfriend." She said with as much mockery as she could muster. Link rolled his eyes in turn.

"I've never even met her," he chuckled. "I come to see you more often than I do any other girl in the village." She gave him a studious look before she smiled and continued with her gossip.

"Anyway… She and that _boyfriend_ of hers," she said the word with no small amount of distaste, "came into the pub yesterday." Link tried not to look too interested. "He seems really pushy and she didn't talk at all. They're a strange pair, let me tell you. She's still wearing bandages and the like. It's been way longer than one would need for wounds to heal. The whole thing still stinks of foul play." Link took note of everything she was saying. If the two of them were finally coming out in the open then maybe he could meet this female Gerudo. He'd have to be careful of the male role in this situation though.

"Thanks, Sally," he said then left his usual tip for the girl and left. She waved as he closed the door behind him.

Sunlight blinded him for a second before he made his way to where Epona rested. When he got there, she neighed impatiently.

"Alright, already, we're goin'," he cooed to her. She was still agitated and wanted to be on the move. Link began preparing her saddle and reigns.

There was a tingling on the back of his neck that he couldn't ignore and whipped around. His eyes focused on a lone figure leaning against a house a little ways away. It was a girl who wore a heavy looking cloak and was staring up at the sky, almost longingly. She seemed relaxed and peaceful and Link couldn't help but stare. She started to bring her gaze around to face him but, with a small burst of adrenaline, he quickly turned back to his horse. He felt he must look quite ridiculous for it was obvious he had been staring. After a few seconds of mindless twiddling, he surreptitiously glanced at the spot again. She had vanished. He paused and stared at the place where she had stood. He had had that strange feeling that he couldn't explain, only connect it to the same tingling he had experienced in his dreams. Like someone was tapping him on the shoulder ceaselessly. He shook himself and continued his task.

After saddling Epona, he led her around a new path designed specifically for horses to the open Hyrule field, and she happily obliged. When they cleared the walls of the path, Epona giddily nudged Link to mount her and they were off.

It was a relatively short trip, especially for one as excited as Epona. He had only ridden for about half an hour before the drawbridge came into view. He pulled up to where he had first found the stables and was saddened to see that Malon was not there. He left his horse with one of her stable hands and re-shouldered his pack to set off for the Western Castle. As he approached, he easily spotted the check-in line. His heart fell, though for what reason he didn't know, when he saw Sheik was at the head of the line checking off names on a rolled parchment. He wasn't normally the one doing this particular job when Link would check-in. Every so often, when he made a mark, the man before him would stalk off in the opposite direction of the site. Were they letting people go?

It was his turn fairly quickly and Link felt a sinking in his stomach as Sheik eyed him from under his blonde locks.

"Link." He said plainly, uninvitingly. "It's so nice to see you again."

"N-nice to see you, too." He felt exceptionally stupid and weak at his stutter. What was he so afraid of? He noted a glint in the Sheikah's eyes that made him feel small.

"I have here, a list of workers who have the next few days off. For financial purposes. We have more than enough laborers and not nearly enough income to sort out." Link noticed Tarro, a heavyset man with broad shoulders and a thick jaw line who originally did check-in was shifting around on his feet behind Sheik agitatedly. He tried to make eye-contact with the man. "Your name is on this list, Link."

"Alright." He tried to make this affirmation as sturdy as possible. He straightened up a little more and looked determinedly, unwaveringly, into Sheik's eyes.

"Sheik, he's one our best workers," Tarro said as he placed a hand on Sheik's shoulder. The Sheikah gave Tarro a subtle ominous glare. Link was gratified by his boss' encouragement, but then was distracted greatly by something behind the two men he stood in front of.

"He will not be working today, I'm afraid," Sheik said rather unkindly, as if to show that _he_ was the one in charge.

"But," Tarro could only utter one word of his rebuttal before Link swiftly dropped his pack and took off at a light sprint.

"Where the devil does he think he's…" Link only heard the first part of Sheik's enraged tones before his gaze fell on to what had distracted Link in the first place.

Suddenly, there was a wet snap and a lot of yelling from above. Link had his eyes mainly on one target, a thin man who stood under a scaffold, chiseling away at some molding between bricks. He heard the snap and his gaze jolted up towards the yelling, but he wouldn't be able to see the danger until it was on top of him. Link watched the pile of bricks that had been supported by some old rope was hurdling down towards the hapless man. He put on a burst of speed and grabbed the guy by the midriff and slid them both from underneath the scaffold to safety. The resounding and inevitable crash that followed was mere milliseconds after they cleared the woodwork. Link sat up on his hands, breathless, while the man stuttered in shock.

"You alright?" Link wheezed. The man nodded vigorously after a second of bleary blinking. Link got up off the ground, brushed off the dirt from his legs, and offered a hand to the man. He took it.

"Thank you, so much," he said dryly, bewilderment still etched on his face. Link just flashed him a big smile. He looked up and the men on wall were all gawking disbelievingly between him and pile of bricks and smashed wood. Link, then simply marched back over to Sheik, Tarro, and the line of workers. He picked up his pack.

"So I have today off then?" Link inquired innocently of the Sheikah.

"Y-yes," it was Sheik's turn to stammer. He gathered his wits. "Tarro," he turned to the man. "Will you oversee clean up and make sure nobody gets hurt? I'll finish with the sign in." Tarro nodded and handed him his list. Then he made his way over to the wreckage shouting commands and people were scurrying to follow his orders.

Link didn't stay to watch anything else unfold so he just made his way back to the stables.

"Fairy Boy!" Malon's pet name for him wafted through the air again and he smiled as her warm tones floated to his ears.

"Hello Malon," he said flatly, not really knowing what else to say. She smiled all the same and gestured for him to enter. She had been grooming Epona lovingly and Link had an inkling as to why Epona was so excited to leave that morning.

"You look a bit flustered over there, Fairy Boy." Malon stated as Link watched her work with the mare. He had been in deep thought and hadn't said anything for a few moments.

"Maybe just a little frustrated, but nothing really upsetting." She gave him a look that told him he had better start talking. He sighed. "Things got a little weird at work today."

"Oh?" she egged him on.

"The one who oversees the reconstruction doesn't like me very much. He told me I couldn't work today." He explained simply.

"Why don't they like you? You're so likable." She asked and Link smiled at her for it.

"I'm not really sure why." He thought for a second. "Maybe because I mistook him for a woman when we first met." Malon let out such a melodious laugh that made him instantly feel a thousand times better.

"I can't imagine why that would upset anyone," she teased.

They had dropped the subject after that and decided to have lunch together. It was all very quaint and cozy and Link was at ease.

After finishing their food, Link was ready to be on the move again. He had planned to return to Kakariko and explore the newly furnished town. Since he had put an end to Ganon's reign, vendors from all across Hyrule and even farther would gather in Hyrule Market's main square. For those who couldn't fit (or those who simply liked the town setting more), they would line the once-baron entrance to the small village with many stalls that were filled with exotic goods. With these new travelers coming to town, more buildings were built to accommodate them. Kakariko was becoming quite the social gathering place.

Epona wasn't as excited to leave. She would never be difficult with him but he did notice an air of melancholy about her. He felt bad for the mare. He turned to Malon who had helped him finish saddling up and handed her Epona's reigns. She blinked.

"I think she misses you a bit," Link said to her. She smiled warmly. "I think I'll walk today. It's beautiful outside." He hitched his empty sack a little higher on his shoulder, patted Epona on her auburn neck, and made to exit. Epona trotted after him for a step and he turned right into a tongue to the face. He laughed as he petted her behind her ears.

"You two have fun now," he called as he left the stall and waded through the crowds towards the drawbridge that led outside.

0000

The walk back to Kakariko was definitely a lot longer than he was used to. It didn't bother him though. The time alone was good for him to sort out his feelings on the situations he was involved in as of late. His thoughts dwelled on his most recent dealings with Malon and Sheik.

Malon. She was such a wonderful person. He loved everything about her, from her smile to her flowing red hair. Her personality was beautiful even. He could feel himself become more and more attracted to her presence as the days wore on. He wouldn't deny it. So what could he do about these feelings? He honestly had no idea what to do about anything. He liked it when his thoughts centered on her, but sometimes, he just didn't know what to think about her at all.

Then there was Sheik. He had no idea what was going on between the two of them. Sheik obviously had a hatred for him that he could not explain. In turn, Link really didn't care much for the guy that much either. How this bad blood started he simply could not figure out.

As the sky started to show signs of twilight, Link's mind wandered onto other matters. His dreams were among them, along with the grim possibility that the Seal of the Sacred Realm that kept Ganon contained could break. It sickened him with worry that he could do little about this situation. He felt like he was dragged into something that he had no control over. That, or he was dragged into it because he had the answers. He just couldn't figure out what any of it meant. Zelda and Ganon were both gone, but they still managed to haunt his every step. Since Impa last visited him and gave him the grave news, she hadn't come to him again. He didn't know how to contact anyone from the Sacred Realm either. He felt extremely alone in the dark.

His dreams, he felt, were connected to this new development. He felt like they were trying to tell him something that he very much needed to know. He could glean nothing of interest from these visions except that Gerudo girl. He didn't know how he was connected to her but he wanted to meet her at the very least. Maybe she had some small piece of a puzzle that would help him figure everything out. She never showed her face though and that disheartened him.

Kakariko's entrance came into view and there was a soft glow that emanated from the steps and also above the high rock walls into the darkening sky. He felt only a little tired from his long trek but glad to finally be back. The stalls that lined the village entrance, as he had guessed, were the source of the lights. They were very boisterous with the selling of their goods and everything was very lively. He was in good spirits because of it all and was happy for the small distraction from his earlier musings. He began to peruse the different types of stands that were set up with all of their weird contraptions and inventions. So fascinating were all the different things.

Then he saw her. She was there, a very short ways from him, just peering over at the different shiny objects that were on display. Her cloak had vanished and she wore a tunic that was ratty and too big for her. Her skin was dark, but not as dark as the Gerudo he was used too. Her dark auburn hair laid in short tufts that covered her ears and a portion of her face. Just as he stared, completely entranced with her miraculous appearance, she reached up and brushed the part of her hair that covered her face and revealed her ears. He was taken aback. They were pointed. Gerudo didn't have pointed ears.

That was about the time that she noticed him staring at her. He was being completely obvious about it and felt kind of abashed at her staring right back into his eyes. They didn't break. She looked back with a certain determination, like it was a competition to see who could hold their gaze the longest. She had the most interesting green eyes he had ever seen.

"Marickiya," a shout rang out that made both of them start. A man came up to her with a scowl on his face. 'What are you doing?" he asked of her fiercely. She blinked a couple times and he turned to see what she was looking at. He spotted Link and his eyebrows furrowed even more. Link's own eyebrows rose with curiosity. "Who's this?"

"We just met," Link offered. The girl gave him a searching look and he flashed her a small smile. "My name's Link."

"I'm Marickiya," she said. "This is Jerais," she gestured at the guy who had the furrowed eyebrows which seemed to be sinking even lower with each passing introduction.

He whispered to her loud enough for Link to hear. "Don't speak to him." She scowled.

"I can speak to whoever I feel like, thank you," she said loudly. He rolled his eyes.

"I told you not to wander off on your own. You're still recovering."

"I am completely fine." She tried to say quietly, but it was his turn for raised voices.

"No you're not! You always do things on your own without telling me." People were starting to stop their random tasks to listen in on the loud discussion. Marickiya was looking rather uncomfortable.

"Jerais, really, I'm alright. You don't have to worry so much-" he cut her off.

"You never listen to me! Do you even care that I'm doing all this for you? All you do is take and take and never give anything in return. I don't even know why I'm doing this for you anymore." It was then that he began to notice the onlookers. He clucked his tongue in annoyance and grabbed the girl's arm.

Link was on him in a second. He had the man's wrist in a tight grip as he gave him a dangerous look. Jerais stared back at him with hatred in his eyes as he let go of the girl. He sneered maliciously.

"Tch, you're in luck, girl. Looks like you've got yourself a new servant to cater to your every need."

"That was uncalled for." Link squeezed the man's wrist and he yelped. He threw it away from him as if he were completely disgusted with it. He started to make his way towards the village entrance. Then he dealt the last bit of damage.

"Keep those clothes, wench, they suit you better." Then he turned to leave as most of the vendors and their customers became quiet. Link scowled as the man's back disappeared in the direction of the stables. He turned around to speak with the girl again, but she had vanished. He didn't blame her. He turned towards the vendor at which she had been originally been spying at.

"Did you see where that maiden had run off to?" The man pointed in the direction of the village houses. Link thanked him and was off. He was searching in an alley created by two taller buildings when he spotted her. She noticed him and made to flee.

"Wait!" he called out to her. She stopped. He didn't really know what to say after that.

"I don't need pity," she said in a poorly concealed choked voice. She kept her back turned to him. He felt his heart go out to this girl. It was more than that though. The tapping from his visions had begun when their eyes first met and he felt a tingling on the back of his left hand. Something was urging him not to let this girl go.

"How about a friend?" the words escaped from him before he could hold them back. Not that he would have; their effect was immediate. She sniffled softly and slowly turned to face him. He moved closer to about arms length from her. Then, after a short silence, quietly she said

"A friend would be nice." She put her face in her hands and attempted to wipe the tears away, but they wouldn't let up.

"Are you alright?" he asked of her. She smiled sweetly at him.

"I'm fine," then her face fell as more tears streamed down her cheeks.  
>"Would you like to sit down? Maybe we could go to the Tavern?" she did this sort of choked giggle in response.<p>

"I'd rather not go anywhere public, just now," whether she was implying that she didn't want people seeing her crying or referring to the incident with Jerais, he wasn't sure. She just plopped herself down on the grass and leaned against on of the buildings they sat between. It was completely dark then and lamps began to fizzle into existence all around them. He walked over and sat across from the girl.

"I'm sorry, I'm such a mess," she was still trying to clean her face of tears. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I shouldn't even be here, really. But I am, and now I have no home. I screwed up," She tried to keep her voice steady at the last part.

"You didn't screw up," he tried to say. She shook her head.

"I shouldn't have let it get as far as it did."

"What happened?" Link offered. It was a simple nudge, not too forceful, he hoped. She rolled up her sleeve to reveal bloody bandages. Link scowled.

"He did not do this to me directly, but it was because of him that it happened." She launched into her story. "I am from the Gerudo Desert."

"I had guessed. But I also noticed your pointed ears," Link interrupted. She gave a small, sad smile and tucked her hair behind her ears again, their points showing proudly.

"I am from the Desert, but I'm not completely Gerudo. I am also partially Hylian." Link had also guessed this.

It was all very strange to Marickiya that this stranger showed such an interest in her. She hoped that he didn't have any intention of pursuing her. She didn't have the energy to reject another false suitor. Then again, there was something about him that made her feel at home and she couldn't explain it. She had never really experienced this feeling before. It was comfortable. For the time being, she decided to just sit there and talk. She didn't have anyone else that she could do that with anymore.

"Have I seen you before? I mean, I've been to the Fortress." She looked him up and down.

"No, I don't think so. Wait…" she had a contemplative look. "I remember there was some sort of announcement about how we were not to bother some guy clad in green. That wasn't you, was it?" Link's quirky grin was his response. "How did you pull that off?" her tears were forgotten temporarily and he took that as a go-ahead.

"Oh, you know, boasting my toughness and amazing skills with a sword." He flexed his arms to her at the toughness part. She looked quite unimpressed.

"Really?" she asked simply. Link dropped his arms with a plop.

"Yes 'really'," he could feel the heat rise in his face a little at her question of his strength. "I set free those carpenters who were imprisoned there. I had to best your greatest warriors- Why are you laughing?!" She was laughing in earnest and he thought that his dignity was a small sacrifice to get her to smile.

"Those guards weren't our 'greatest warriors," she said after she recovered from her giggling fit.

"What do you mean? They were greatly skilled," he still wanted a little credit for the effort.

"Well, yes. All of the Gerudo are trained. We have a sort of grading system, and those who received the lowest marks receive guard duty."

Link had been beaten.

"I only fought your weakest warriors? Man," he trailed off, to which Marickiya began to laugh anew. "I honestly have no idea why they let me in then." She stopped her chuckling to ask

"Who exactly is 'they'?"

Link had to think back for a moment. He pictured her in his mind. She wore the traditionally Gerudo garb in a green that was darker than his own tunics'. Her hair was the most interesting as it was braided extremely elaborately. He stopped in his thoughts as he remembered the one dream-vision he had on the first night he arrived in Hyrule. He realized that the two Gerudo women her saw were Marickiya and the one who gave him permission to roam the Fortress. For the moment, he wouldn't ask her about it. So he described the woman to her.

"Do you know her?" he asked. A warm smile spread across her face.

"Nalyra," she stated simply. "Naly. She was my best friend. She probably let you in as a sign of her power to the other authorities. The kind of butt heads a lot."

"I suppose that makes sense." They became quiet for moment. Then Link decided to ask an itching question. "How does one go about becoming half-Gerudo? I don't think I've ever heard of anything like that happening before."

"Well, you wouldn't. I'm the only one." Link raised his eyebrows at this a bit. She continued. "I don't know who my parents were because they're most likely dead. It is a taboo among the Gerudo to mate outside our race." Link thought about her statement.

"I thought the whole Gerudo race were all women," as he said it, a revelation dawned on him.

"No." she said, "There is one male Gerudo that is born every one hundred years. He is the leader of our race." She confirmed. The obvious went unsaid at that point. He was sickened at the prospect.

"I'm sorry," was all he said.

"It is nothing to be sorry for. It can't be helped," her face darkened at this. "I can't go back anyway. It doesn't matter."

"Why can't you go back?" Link wished he hadn't asked her once the words were free of his lips. She tucked her knees up close to her chest and her eyes bore into the grass at her feet.

"I was banished." She stated simply. He didn't press for more to be said. They were both quiet and almost tense.

"So," he tried to ease conversation back onto the table. She lifted her head to look at him. There was a lot of pain hidden in her eyes. He made a decision. "So, now you don't have a place to stay." She nodded slowly as she watched him form his next words. "I own a house. And it's very spacious. There's a loft. If you wanted, you could stay there," he trailed off as he watched her face for a hint on an answer. Then…

"We just met. You barely know me," she dropped her arms and fell into a cross-legged position.

"I know. I just thought it would be nice to offer." She looked him up and down for a second time that night as if sizing him up. "You don't have to take it. I just thought I'd lend a helping hand to a new friend." Her eyes lit up when he said it like that. She thought to herself for a moment.

"Thank you. I'd like to stay for a while. I'll try and find some work so I can get out on my own, though." She said. He smiled.

"Sounds good to me. Let me show you my house," he stood and brushed off the back of his legs.

"Alright," she stood also and looked down. "Can we stop by the inn I was staying at to get my things?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied without hesitating. She relaxed her shoulders and her eyes took on a brighter tone.

"Thank you so much, Link," she said and he turned to smile at her.

"No problem, Marickiya." She beamed at this.

"My friends call me Mari."


	4. Chapter 4

Unexpected Guests

The new castle was finished.

It had taken only a few months to complete this monumental task. There were new designs in the architecture that helped simplify the process. With this milestone passed, it was time to prepare for Princess Zelda's Ball. Whenever the new Western Castle's completion was brought up in conversation, it was quickly followed by talk of the Ball. The entire kingdom was invited. It was going to be a night to remember for sure.

Marickiya was settled into the loft of Link's house very comfortably. Link enjoyed her company as they got along quite nicely. She had kept her promise of finding a job in the town. Link had talked with Sally and asked if she needed any help around her tavern. At first she became excited telling him of all the help she needed and how she would love to have someone work with her during the busier times of the day. When he said he was delighted to hear this and that his friend, Mari, needed some work to get back on her feet, she became less enthusiastic. Still, she kept to her word and gave Marickiya a job. It wasn't much, but just enough to support her self. It was all she needed. Despite Sally being a bit peeved that it wasn't Link who was her helping hand, she and Mari became quick friends. It was a rare occurrence for both of them to get to talk with other girls their age. They gossiped with each other about different things they'd hear and overall were just normal.

Marickiya was rarely questioned about her darker skin, though there were plenty of whispers. She seemed to not mind it at all. Once people became used to her being around, it wasn't even a passing thought. For her, that was a miracle in and of itself. For once in her life, she felt accepted. She never spoke of her life in the Desert any more than what she told Link when they first met. He didn't ask her about it either. It clearly bothered her.

It was Link's last day at the job site, for clean up, and he started it like any other. He stopped by Sally's bar first. Only this time he had a mission.

"Hey, Sally," he said as he dropped his knapsack on the floor by his stool.

"What's new, hero?" she asked. She pulled out a mug and began to fill it with his favorite drink.

"Oh, you know. The new Castle has been built and now there's supposed to be this huge party. Everyone's talking about it," he replied with a smirk. She caught on pretty quickly.

"Oh? So, now you've come here to ask me to accompany you the Princess' Ball?" she asked sardonically. Link was a little stung by her mocking voice.

"Well, yes," he said as he felt his smirk melt from his face. "How did you know?" She paused in her work to give him a look.

"Please, honey," was all she said in reply. She didn't answer his unasked question. She continued her work as Link sat there trying put words back on his tongue.

"So, that means…" he trailed off, as he really didn't know what her short statements meant. She sighed and turned to face him. She paused for a second with a contemplative look as if she were piecing together what she would say. Then she made up her mind and gave him a warm smile.

"Link," she began, "I'd like to go with you, but I'm going out of town then to visit my father."

"Oh," he said a little glumly. She looked sympathetic.

"I'm really sorry," she started to say. He shook his head and smiled back at her.

"No, no. Don't worry about it." They were quiet for a while after that.

With very little awkward idle chatter after that, Link made to leave for the market.

"You should ask Mari." Sally called out as he had his hand on the doorknob. He paused and let the words wash over him for a moment. "She wants to go. I let her off work since no one would be at the bar that night anyway." He turned to her and smiled.

"That sounds like a good idea." She beamed back at him.

He left after tipping his usual and went straight to the Market. He and Epona, both, were a bit disappointed to find Malon was missing from her usual post. On the ride over, he had fancied the idea of asking her to the Ball. He settled on asking if he could go with Mari. He liked her well enough.

It was a relatively quiet day at work. The clean up was going by pretty quickly and when it was all finished, it was the last time to say good bye.

"It's been wonderful working with all of you." Tarro shouted out to the crowd of workers. "Look what we've finished together!" at this, there was a roar of approval. Everyone was smiling and patting each other on the back. "I hope to see all of you again, here at the Ball. Make sure you clean up though. We wouldn't want a bunch of sweaty men stinking up the place." A ripple of laughter wound around the surrounding people. "Now, get on with you," it was the last dismissal and everyone was feeling very accomplished.

Link was making his way through the market towards the stables. He had made this trip many times and it wasn't entirely exciting for him. He began to slow up a bit and eye the plethora of stalls covered in goods that lined the streets. He came upon a busier one that was crowded with women of all ages. The large stall held an amazing assortment of ball gowns. Though he felt slightly out of place among the women, he started to peek at all the different styles. He guessed he'd be seeing a lot of these dresses at Zelda's Ball. None of them truly caught his eye; they were beautiful, for sure, and he didn't really have too many preferences in female clothing, but he just couldn't find one that stuck out.

Walking along the rows of folded finery, he noticed there was one dress upon a mannequin that every girl there eyed with envy as they passed it. Why did they merely pass it? It was completely perfect. It was a deep blue but the color popped brightly at the same time. The sleeves hung low and were held together by an intricate broach. Where the cloth was bunched by the pendant, the rest of the fabric hung in two flowing strands. A corset, something relatively new in fashion, lay at the waist and turned into a sort of apron with a design incorporating the Triforce adorned on the front. The skirt fell all the way to the floor. It was stunning. As he approached, he saw why no one was attempting to purchase the dress. It was well over twice as much as any other dress on display and they weren't exactly budget friendly either. He lingered on it for a second longer before he decided he should ask Mari first to go to the Ball with him and then think about dresses.

Marickiya was already at the house when he arrived. She was laying down on her cot in the loft. She sat up for a second, saw it was he who had entered, then laid back down. For some reason, this made him smile.

"Expecting someone else?" she asked as he dropped his things by the door.

"Nope." She stated simply. He chuckled.

He made his way up the stairs and stopped before they became part of the loft. She looked up at him.

"May I enter?" he said politely. She just gave a scoff with an incredulous look on her face. He stayed where he was, anticipating an answer. When she saw this, she let out a sigh that ended with a laugh.

"_Yes_ you may 'enter'." He walked up next to her cot and sat down cross legged. He wasn't treating this like he did with Sally. He was sort of winging it. She peeked at him from one eye.

"What are you doing?" he asked simply. She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm laying here." She said a little sardonically. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sitting here." He said cheerily. She rolled her eyes with a smile.

Through a chuckle she said, "Did you need something?" He smiled.

"Actually, yes. I was wondering if it would be alright with you if I accompanied you to the Ball." That caught her completely off guard.

"Really." It wasn't really a question.

"Of course, the offer is completely platonic," he added, not hastily, to be sure she understood the conditions in which he was implying. "If you're going to live here, certain boundaries shouldn't be messed with." She looked on with understanding.

"Alright. I will respect that. But," she looked down a bit. "I've bought new clothes for myself because my wardrobe was rather lacking. But nothing formal for such a situation as this…" she trailed off.

"Would you like to go shopping? I passed a place in the Market earlier-"

"Oh, I wouldn't be able to buy anything from there. I don't make nearly enough," she looked at him interestedly as he stood up with a bright expression.

"Nonsense. I'll help out." And with that, they readied to ride off to the Market.

It was more crowded than when he left it earlier. Mari, though she had to push through the people constantly, didn't seem to mind. There was a glint in her eyes that told him she was actually pretty excited to be there. They came upon the stall where the dresses were and Link followed behind Mari as she inspected the differently styled dresses. He was pretty bemused at the fact that she would pick up one dress and set it down quickly with a set face of determination just as he had done previously. He wondered, with a smile, if she was going to pick the same exact dress he had chosen. As the neared the mannequin display, he watched as her eyes flicked over the blue fabric and moved on quickly. She picked up a very plain looking dress.

"I think, maybe…" she was holding it up to her form, "this one?" She asked of him expectantly. He eyed it.

"I don't think that's you, but you should choose whatever you want. Don't forget I'm helping you pay." They kept looking. Back and forth through the racks, there was nothing that really caught her eye. Link decided to step in a little when they had passed the blue dress for the third time.

"What about this one?" She didn't even spare it a glance, but she knew exactly what he was referring to.

"No." was all she had to say. He rolled his eyes.

"You haven't looked at it since we got here." He paused. "Don't you like it at all?" She looked up and bit her lip.

"Well yes," he motioned for her to inspect it closer. She reached out and felt the fabric between her fingers. She started at it with a look of longing. Just like him, this was the dress she wanted.

"Do you want this one?" She shook her head vigorously. Why was she being so difficult? He knew why she was doing this. "Why not?" he demanded, already knowing her answer.

"I don't have nearly enough for it. Not even to cover half of it." She looked downcast.

"You know, I do remember saying that I was going to help you," he stated. She gave him a dangerous look that kind of surprised him.

"Link, I don't want you to spend that much on me," she said quietly. He shook his head.

"Well, I already know you like it. So, I'm buying this dress whether you help me or not." He started to call the vendor over to take the garment down from the mannequin. She had no other words for him, but her mouth hung slightly open as her face turned a shade of red. She was at a loss.

"I'd like to purchase this one please," Link was ignoring her though. The vendor looked ecstatic, almost relieved, when Link gestured at the blue dress. When Link took out his rupee bag, the man began taking the dress down and packaging it. Before he could fish out all the money from within, though, Mari had slapped down everything she had onto the counter. She eyed Link wearily, daring him to oppose her. He didn't. He covered the rest and they left the vendor as people watched them walk away, resentfully. Mari retained her red face all the way back to their horses.

"You didn't need to do that." She said quietly as they trotted back to Kakariko.

"I know," was all he replied with.

The next day, there was a royal messenger that arrived at the village. His message was this:

"To everyone, for everyone is invited for this special occasion. Tomorrow nights' festivities will begin promptly when the sun goes down and will continue until it comes back up again. Bring your best faces and friends for the celebration of life and living at the Western Castle banquet hall. Thank you for your time and I hope to see you all there."

The excitement was beginning to crescendo and soon, it was time to get ready for the Ball. Sally had closed her bar and, out of decency, allowed Mari to ready herself for the night at her place. Link got ready at his own house. He had received official Hyrule Knights' clothing when the messenger had visited the town and was just now checking them out. He let out a low whistle.

"Nice," he muttered as he ran his fingers over the expensive fabric and intricate designs. He wondered who had tailored his new outfit. They knew him well, apparently. The new tunic was his color green with golden borders. There was an optional brown, lightweight cape with more golden tassels. It had a hood, but he preferred his original green cap. It also came with new, clean laced up boots that he knew was going to take some time getting into.

The clothes were easy enough to get into, but his boots proved him right. After a good while of struggling, he was ready to go. The last of his effects, a lightweight thin sword that felt weird in his hands, was strapped on and he headed outside to meet up with Marickiya. He made his way to the back of the inn where the entrance to Sally's house resided when he didn't see her outside. He knocked on the door.

"We're not done yet," came a hurried reply. He heard some mumbling and then Sally responded, "Nonsense! It won't be that much longer." Link sighed and leaned against the wall.

After a few uneventful minutes, Link decided to inspect his new sword. He unsheathed it and stared down the length of the blade. He instantly disliked it. It was a beautiful sword, but it definitely wasn't the Master sword. He had half a mind to bring his own Gilded Sword he had acquired in the land of Termina. He figured, though, that carrying any kind of weaponry that people brought to events such as these were purely for decoration. It wasn't unheard of, for sure, but for someone like him, the concept didn't make any sense at all. It was stupid. If they were to get into any fight, he had the impression that this slab of steel wouldn't protect him or anyone else for that matter. Unconsciously, he began to swing the sword at an invisible enemy. He swung around in graceful arcs, stabbing and parrying in a would-be deadly dance. He felt sloppy, the blade was unbalanced. This irritated him and he became more determined to perform his moves perfectly, flawlessly. He was lost in non-existent combat…

"Impressive."

He stabbed at the air as the voice rung. Holding the position, he blinked and turned his head to the source. Marickiya was standing in her glorious deep blue dress looking on with admiration. Sally was standing just inside the doorway grinning. Link straightened up and walked over to her. He cocked his head a little and reached up to touch her shorn hair. But it wasn't as messy as it had been. Marickiya blushed a deep crimson.

"Sally… trimmed my hair for me. To make it even." She looked away. He was a little puzzled by her reaction.

"It looks good," her blushed diminished and all that was left was a very forlorn expression. That only served to confuse him more.

"You guys better get going," Sally said from the door, "The sun will start setting soon."

"Right," he sheathed his sword and held out his arm to Mari who took it without any more words. They headed for the stables where Epona and Marickiya's horse dwelled. As they walked on, Link's sword rapped gently against his legs. He thought on if there would ever be a situation that would call for him to use this flimsy sword tonight. He sorely hoped that there wouldn't be…

0000

Everything was decorated for the ball. Even though the event was about something that would otherwise be a very sad ordeal, everything was brightly lit and cheerful. It was less like a funeral, and much more resembled a celebration. Mari liked the idea of a celebration of life and freedom. The people, though clearly sad about losing their princess, were definitely happy about having her as a princess. There were depictions of her on giant canvases. Candles were lit in memorial. It was all very beautiful.

They made their way carefully to the new castle's gates. They were elaborately ornate and were definitely pulling everyone's attention to them. They crossed the gates' magnificence and followed the lined crowd slowly up a path to the ball room where the event would be held. The stone path was rimmed with dim lanterns that bore the sacred Triforce on their fronts. Everything was very well designed.

They entered the great hall and it was even more beautiful than outside. It was to be expected; massive golden curtains hung in luxuriously planned folds and covered the giant windows. There was a circular table in the center of the room the room that was completely covered in flowers. A portrait of Zelda was amidst the blossoms. The entire room was lit with an impossible amount of torches and candles and the light bounced pretty much anywhere you laid your eyes. Link and Mari were virtually speechless as they gazed around.

"Fairy Boy!" An excited voice wafted towards them. It was a moment before the owner of it came into view. The beaming face of Malon shone more brightly than the room itsef.

"Malon!" Link replied excitedly. Mari noted the change in the way Link carried himself from that point on. His smile had an extra warmth and she caught on quickly. She couldn't help but smile to herself. As they exchanged pleasantries and she waited to be introduced, her gaze swept the room for an instant. Something caught her eye during her innocent sweep and she locked on. It was another set of eyes staring back at her. They were attached to a taller person standing against the back wall.

"Malon, I want you to meet Marickiya," Mari begrudgingly pulled away from the staring contest with the person across the room and turned to flash a smile at the red headed girl she was being introduced to. Immediately, she sensed a subtle animosity. Mari's smile grew wider. "She's a friend I'm helping out." He didn't go into greater detail.

"It's nice to meet you Malon," Mari said very amiably. Then, with a mischievous thought, she said, "Link speaks very highly of you." Link's expression took on an amount of nervousness to it that made Mari want to burst out laughing. "He talks all the time about how sweet you are."

"Really?" Her jealousy forgotten, she turned to Link with a chaste grin. "Well, what else does he say?" Mari did laugh at that.

"Perhaps I should let you two catch up," she turned to leave the group. "I'll see you guys later." She waved and left Link with a timid look on his face.

Marickiya slowly and discreetly made her way across the room. She spotted her target and sidled up next to them. He made no motion to say he had noticed.

"Well, you look awfully lonesome over here," she said up to him. He didn't look down, just continued to stare across the room, nonchalantly. She took in his form at this closer range; he had long silver hair that was braided into a bun on the back of his head, had a very tall, poised posture, and dark-colored cape that hung off of one shoulder revealing his knight-like tunic and armor.

"On the contrary, there's a lovely young woman here keeping me company," he glanced at her and she saw a small, sly grin upon the corner of his lips. She raised her eyebrow at this.

"So you're _that_ kind of guy." He retained his lopsided grin.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," he said all too innocuously. She pushed away from the wall she was leaning against in a mock huff.

"I caught you staring. Admit it." She placed her hands on her hips and mimicked his sly smile. It was his turn to raise his eye brows. Then in a fluid motion, he pushed his cape aside and gave a graceful bow. He extended his hand in an offering and she took it curiously.

"A thousand apologies miss…" He prompted her for an introduction. He hadn't even given her his name yet. Her mischievous grin was back in place.

"Oh, you won't be getting my name that easily."

"Really? Well then, how about a dance to begin earning it?" They walked hand in hand towards where the other couples were dancing. Marickiya hadn't really had any experience in the area of dancing. The man didn't seem to mind though. He led and kept the both of them in pace fairly easily. She was able to at least enjoy it.

"Perhaps I should offer my name first." She looked up at him. "My name is Vaati," he looked into her eyes and it was then that she noticed his red irises. That seemed strange to her and her face must have shown her feelings. Vaati was giving a questioning glace.

"I'm sorry, I was just…" _'Mesmerized by your eyes,'_ seemed too forward. She wasn't sure what to say. "You're eyes," she started off. His face took on a mask of understanding.

"As you may have guessed, I'm not from this country." He stated simply.

"Where are you from then?" she asked. He looked upwards like he was thinking. She thought that if his hands weren't holding hers, he'd be stroking his chin as well.

"I'm not really from anywhere. I'm a traveler mostly." He was quiet for a moment. "I don't really remember the place I was born. So I guess I don't have something I could call home." They continued their waltz with minor tripping from Mari.

"You're like me then. Without a home." She specified.

"Do you remember where you were from?" he asked. She looked downcast.

"Yes." He left it at that.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories." She shook her head, both to clear it and as a response.

"No, no, don't worry about it." Vaati surprised her by swinging her outwards and then back into his embrace. She smiled a little breathlessly. "I suppose I should give you my name."

"That would be nice." He teased. She chuckled at his impatience.

"I'm Marickiya." She said.

"That's an interesting name." He mused.

"Thank you, I think."

The music was finishing its final flourish. As the last notes were ending, Vaati took a bow while Mari curtsied, and still held her hand as they paid their courtesies. Vaati unconsciously squeezed slightly which caused Marickiya to look up at him in question. He wasn't paying attention to her, his gaze was firmly fixed upwards for a moment before he realized that his dancing partner was looking at him curiously.

"I'm afraid I must take my leave here," he tightened his grip on her hand a bit and pulled her close to him. She gasped at his forwardness but quieted as he began to whisper in her ear. "You should find somewhere far from here to stay tonight. It isn't safe anymore," then he pulled back quickly as if it had never happened. She stared agape at him. Then as a last gesture, he kissed her hand. "It has been a pleasure to meet you, Marickiya."

"Same to you," was all she managed through her stupor. She was vaguely aware of a commotion behind her and turned subconsciously. Link was waving her down.

"Marickiya," he caught up to her, Malon was no where to be seen. "What were you doing?" He noticed the blank look on her face and open mouth.

"Oh, I was just," she turned back to face Vaati, but he had utterly vanished. She looked around the tops of peoples' heads, but could not find the fair-headed young man with whom she had just shared a dance.

"Just what?" Link quarried as she stared off. She brought her gaze back to her green clad friend.

"Nothing," she said. "Where's Malon?"

"She was called away by her father, back to the ranch." He said a little dejectedly.

"Sounds like you two were having fun." She teased again.

Before he could get in any kind of retort, there was disturbance by the stage where the band had been playing songs for the people to dance to. There was a bright flash of light and people were screaming and scrambling to clear the area. Link placed a hand in an unconscious effort of protection on Mari's shoulder.

When everything had settled, the light left behind five differently shaped figures, and Link recognized all of them. Everything was quiet. Then…

"Everyone must leave this place immediately," they all said in unison, "Hyrule is no longer safe!"

And right on queue, the entire building began rumbling. More screaming erupted but everyone seemed to get the message as they began piling towards the exits. Link headed in the opposite direction though, which caused Marickiya to stumble a bit before going after him. He approached the people who had appeared from the lights and began speaking with them.

"Impa, what is happening?" She spotted and walked up to him.

"We must reconvene outside the castle. I will explain there," they all began to hurry outside.

"Link!" came a small voice and he turned to find his young friend-

"Saria," he slowed to meet her as she ran up. He was mildly surprised to find that she jumped right into his arms. "I can touch you. You're all really here?" He looked around expectantly at the other Sages and they responded with grim expressions. He wasn't sure what to think of that.

"Link," Mari kept apace with the group despite her flowing gowns' interference, "what's going on?"

"I'm not sure. Nothing good it seems," he gestured around at the strange group that they followed. "These are some of my greatest friends. This is Saria," he hefted the small girl in his arms, then began to point in turn, "And that's Impa, Ruto, Darunia, and Nabooru." She tripped at the last name.

"Nabooru?" her eyes trained on the Gerudo chief instantly who smiled and waved back.

"Hey girly, it's been awhile," the second in command of the Gerudo smiled a bit sheepishly. Having been missing for seven years to show up on the scene so suddenly, she knew it was probably overwhelming for the girl. "We'll have to catch up later, though."

"O-of course," was all she could manage to respond with. She shook her head to focus. Everything was happening so quickly, but the only thing that pervaded her thoughts most was Vaati's strange warning. '_Could he, somehow, be apart of this?_' she wondered. She also thought she should mention him to Link, but cast it aside for later. The rumbling that had started before was reaching a glass-shattering crescendo.

Suddenly, an explosion blew up a rather large portion of the ceiling and into parts of the castle. They picked up the pace.

Once outside, they could see the real damage of the blast. Half of the castle supports were ablaze. It was only a matter of time before they brought the whole thing down.

"Alright, Impa, time to start explaining," Link said nervously, "what's making all those explosions?" She turned to him; a grave expression took on her already solemn features.

"What we discussed upon your return has finally happened."

Link wasn't caught completely off-guard by this statement. He thought he would have more time than what he had been given.

Just then, another scream rent the air. Only it hadn't come from the fleeing group of people behind them, it came from the burning castle.

"There are still people inside," Link said, horrified, "I'm going back," he put Saria down and made to sprint off.

"I'm coming, too," Marickiya had pulled a small dagger from beneath her skirt as Link looked back.

"Marickiya, no!" he demanded. She looked up from her hands as she held several folds of her skirt and the dagger poised above them.

"What?" she said a bit startled.

"Do not cut up that dress," he said and she looked incredulous.

"What? How do you expect-" he cut her off.

"I don't care, tie it up or something," he trailed off as he made towards the burning wreckage of a castle, leaving the girl grumbling.

0000

"Hello?" Link called out as he swept the hallways. He made a point to peek in every possible door. His search yielded no occupants. The smoke was starting to set in rather thickly.

"Hello?" Link yelled again, and as he did so, he heard a muffled hacking cough. He did a double check of the rooms but was still finding nothing. He pulled his cape over his mouth to keep from breathing in anymore cinders when a part of the floor came free and a head popped up from under. They looked around and spotted Link.

"Sheik," Link said a little surprised. The man had a large gash on his head from which blood poured freely causing his left eye to squint. He couldn't wipe it for his hands held a bundle protectively. Link pulled the trap door up so that the Sheikah could climb all the way out.

"There's no time", he said hoarsely, indicating that he had been the one Link had heard cough. "Where's the way out?" he asked. As he did so, he began to list heavily to the side. Link caught him and put his free arm around his shoulders.

"This way," he led him the way he had come. "Is there anyone else in the castle? I heard a scream earlier." Sheik shook his head.

"There isn't anymore." Link nodded and began to lead the Sheikah towards the exit.

Then another explosion erupted next to them and they were sent flying. Once it had cleared enough for Link to see again, he located Sheik as quick as he could. He was several feet from him, blasted back by the eruption. He still held onto the bundle.

"Sheik!" Link called as he ran forward. As he got closer, he could see the Sheikah's legs were a bloody mess. Some shrapnel had either blown through or still stuck out in some places. He wouldn't be walking on his own anytime soon. "Come on," he said attempting to lift him up.

"Link, stop," he said forcefully yet quietly. Link frowned.

"You've got to come on. The castle's going to collapse," he tried egging him on again, but the downed man just pushed his helping hands away.

"Link, you have to leave, now." Link wasn't about to let him die, but then he gave him a pained expression. "Please," he held out his bundle of cloth to the Hylian, "take this and leave. Please…"

Link hesitantly took the bundle. As he brought it closer, he felt it wriggle against him. He raised his eyebrows and looked back to the Sheikah.

"Sheik," he was starting to feel a little fuzzy from his intake of smoke, but he held gazes with the desperate man.

"I won't last," he said. "Go, now!" Link backed up as his instinct kicked in. The last he saw of the Sheikah before a chunk of the burning ceiling caved in on him was a sad smile on his lips. Then he was gone.

There were no more people to find in the castle as Sheik had said so he made his way back outside as he had intended. He met Marickiya at the entrance.

"Did you find anyone?" she asked in a breathy, shaky voice as she eyed the bundle inquisitively. Link looked down.

"I did, but we got separated. He didn't make it," he felt his voice catch as his heart went out to the man.

They hurried back to the Sage's place where they had left them. They had been herding people out of the way of the crumpling wreckage of the castle and keeping others back from rushing in as Link and Mari had.

"There you are!" Saria ran up to Link with tears in her eyes. "Don't scare us like that," she said in frustration.

"Sorry," he looked forlorn and she immediately let up.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Link looked away.

"It's nothing," he said and she understood. She didn't pester him about it as she noticed the bundle in his arms.

"What's that?" Everyone's attention was brought to the cloths in Link's arms. In reply, Link began to remove the covers. The squirming he noticed before became more pronounced and right as he was removing the last piece, a faint crying could be heard.

In his arms, he held a newborn child. All eyes were drawn to the baby and everything seemed to become too quiet. Link began to explain.

"I found Sheik. He was already injured. He gave me this child and told me to run. Then the-" his voice caught and he couldn't continue, but everyone knew what his next words would have been. Interestingly, Impa had a nameless expression as she stared at the child closely. Link didn't think too much of it.

Just then, a final cacophony of earsplitting detonations sounded throughout the night. The castle began to fall in on itself. Link especially felt the twinge of anguish as he had helped to rebuild this new sentiment to the royal family and had been a beacon of hope for all of Hyrule. They watched in grave silence as the orange flames danced in the reflections of their eyes.

Just before the last of the bangs and blasts abated, they all heard what they had been fearing the most. A slow dangerous laugh zipped through the air and straight to their ears, causing prickly chills to creep up their backs. Link fell to his knees, making sure to keep a sure grip on the crying child in his arms.

"He has returned," Impa said through gritted teeth. "Link," she called to the Hero of Time. He still sat on the ground, uncomprehending. Marickiya went over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Link," he looked up into her face and she cringed from the anger and pain that flashed through his features. She knelt down beside him, just to be there for him. He looked at her and she nodded encouragingly.

"You should leave Link. Get as far from here as possible," Link and Mari both looked up at the woman. Marickiya agreed.

"She's right, Link. We need to get somewhere safe," she repeated the words of the man she had danced with.

"I will head to my village and round up the people there to Lon Lon. We will protect everyone there," she looked around at the other Sage's who all nodded back affirmatively then looked to Link. "You should head to the forest. He will be after you the most. We need to keep you safe."

"Alright, I'll head to the forest with Marickiya." He paused in mid step as if he were about to start towards the stables. "What of this child? Should you take it?" Link asked. Impa looked down on the baby with her strange expression again.

"No, take it with you to the forest. Ask the Great Deku Sprout if he will look after it for awhile... As a favor to me." This request caught Link a bit off guard. But he nodded then turned to his new traveling companion.

"Come, let's get to our horses. We've got a long ride and night ahead of us."


	5. Chapter 5

Polite Conversation

The moon was bright, quietly creeping to a position directly overhead, feigning peace for all the lives it shown down on. Link and Marickiya rode as fast as their horses could take them. They never stopped until they reached the forest barrier, and by that time, it was very late into the night. Link was wide awake as he led his and Mari's horses towards the opening in the trees that led to the home of the Kokiri. The baby was fast asleep in his arms, lulled by the constant galloping of the two horses. Marickiya was slumped forward slightly in her saddle, dozing. Link couldn't possibly sleep at a time like this. Not now…

He was filled with panic. The thought that Ganon could be coming upon them at any moment drove him forward. He knew he was running away, and he hated its necessity. What other choice did he have? He had no sturdy weapon with which to protect himself. He also had two others with him that would surely be killed if they were to be attacked. There was nothing else to do but find a safe place to hide. Hide until he could find a way to reverse this mess.

"Mari," he said gently as he nudged her side. She lifted her head and looked up at the giant hollowed log that served as the entrance to the forest. She had a disconcerted look about her.

"Is it… Is it true that if you get lost…" she sort of trailed off as if trying to recall some distant memory, "…in the forest…you'll turn into a… a…" she was still a little groggy and her words were close to being incoherent. He understood, though.

"Not if you stick close to me, you won't." He said reassuringly. He understood that living in the desert your whole life can leave you a little lacking in other experiences, such as forests or lakes. He thought she must have read about the Lost Woods and its Stalchild infested trees at one point or another. "We should leave our horses out here. It would be difficult for them to maneuver around the trees." Mari nodded and dismounted with her worried expression still in place. He carefully stepped down from Epona with the small child nestled safely in the crook of his free arms' elbow.

They trudged through the trees and Link traversed the terrain effortlessly. At points, Mari resisted the urge to grab the back of Link's tunic for support. She was definitely not used to this sort of confinement. It was as they were completely separated from the rest of the world. Just as she was thinking about how dark it was becoming, things began to lighten a bit. The trees were thinning out and she could see the moon lighting a path. She dared not tear her gaze from the green of Link's formal tunic for fear she'd lose him among the greenery that surrounded them. Then the moonlight spilled carelessly onto everything, creating a brilliantly painted portrait, painstakingly detailed. There was a small bridge that covered a gap in the terrain, leading to another hollowed log like the one they had gone through at the beginning of their trek through the trees. It led into a pitch blackness that made Mari swallow. She unconsciously moved closer to her traveling companion. Link turned slightly and saw her nervous face. He held out his free arm in offering to her. Without hesitation, she grabbed it and they stepped in the darkness.

The Kokiri forest came into view rather quickly after they had plunged into the log's confinement. There were cute little huts that made up a village, she noted. It was in the middle of the night, but everything was lit up. There weren't many trees to completely cover the place, so the moon shone brightly and everything could be seen quite clearly. She heard some quiet voices and her gaze was brought downward. Their arrival was gathering quite a crowd it seemed.

"They're all children," she said softly to herself. Link's keen hearing picked it up.

"That's the Kokiri tribe. They always remain in their childlike forms." He stated matter-of-factly.

"I knew that," she said, not exactly condescendingly. She was too tired for banter just then.

"Hey mister, who's that?" One of the Kokiri had braved to ask the question everyone was wondering. Mari raised an eyebrow.

"You won't have to worry about her, she's a friend." He said loudly enough for all of them to hear. They didn't seem too reassured as they still kept their distance, but they stopped huddling so close together.

"'Mister?' Do you know them?" Marickiya asked him quietly. She was surprised when he gave an unmistakably sad smile and he brought his voice to match her volume.

"Known them my whole life." He said. He didn't explain more than that and the answer only left her with more questions. She decided against voicing any at that moment. They continued on through the village towards an opening in the wall on the opposite side they had come. Then another voice rang out through the woods.

"Link!" a small form was running towards them when they turned around.

"Mido," Link said as the Kokiri caught up to them.

"What are you doing here?" He beamed as he said this, clearly happy to see the tall Hylian. Link looked past the small boy towards the clustered group of the bleary eyed Kokiri.

"We're going to visit the Great Deku Sprout. Some… things have happened. You can join us if you'd like." Link knelt down to speak with him and Mido got a glance at the wiggling bundle in his arms. His eyes widened a bit, his smile slipped slightly from his lips.

"Alright," he said with a little uncertainty. He rose and they made their way to the entrance to the Great Deku Sprout, leaving the staring group of Kokiri behind. They left the village and everything returned to quietness.

"Did he just say 'Link'?"

0000

Marickiya could not keep her gaze at ground level. She'd never seen a tree this size in all her life, not even in books. She noticed Link had been looking to the treetops, but not with an expression of wonder like she was. He had that same sad look to him that he'd near permanently adopted since the castle burned right before them.

His hurt wasn't a normal hurt, she could see that. There was definitely something more, underlying, that she didn't understand. She may have been living with and getting to know Link, but he was still a stranger to her.

"Welcome, Link and friends," there was a voice that came from the center of the clearing they were entering. Mari looked around but couldn't see anyone who could have said anything. Link was fixed on one point and gave a reply.

"Great Deku Sprout," he said. Mari was puzzled for a moment when she came to realize that Link was addressing a lone sprout in between the roots of the enormous tree. Why was he talking to a sprout? "We've come in a time of need."

"I understand. The situation is very grave indeed." The Sprout replied. Marickiya was beyond comprehending what was happening. The Sprout was talking to Link. And he was talking back. Rather than speak out in confusion, she just accepted the weirdness of it all and tried to keep up with what was being said.

"Impa has sent me here with a request." Link said as he stopped just a ways away from the Sprout which Mari now saw had an entire face on the front of it. The Sprout didn't reply at first to Link's statement. They stood in silence for awhile. Link looked like he was about to repeat himself when the Sprout finally broke the silence.

"Such a strange set of circumstances." He didn't seem like he was speaking to anyone directly. He continued. "What is it you wish to ask of me?"

Link began to unravel the bundle so that everyone could get a clear look at what it held. The sleeping child began to stir slightly.

"Do you know of the babe's parents?" The Sprout asked. Link shook his head. "I thought not," he said, sounding much older than he did just a few minutes prior. There was some rustling on the ground. Mari's first instinct was danger for the sound was much like that of desert leevers. The thing that appeared was not a monster, but a root that slithered along the ground until it was close to Link. Then it lifted itself and slowly swerved through the air to place its tip upon the brow of the baby who calmed immediately at the touch. They sat like this for a moment. Then the root retreated back to the leaf-strewn ground and out of sight. It hummed thoughtfully.

"Very strange," he said again.

"What is it?" Link asked, concerned. Would the Sprout not accept the request? If not, then what was he to do with the parentless child?

"It is strange, Link, that you would be the one to bring this child before me," he said. "It is strange that the blood sleeping within this child has a decided fate. She is," he paused for a moment, angling for the right word, "a 'Child of Destiny', if you will."

Link was silent for a moment at these bold statements. He understood the gravity of all he said, and understood the irony of him being the one to bring forth a 'Child of Destiny'. He had but one question to ask and had a feeling that the answer would connect everything else he had learned together. The Sprout seemed to read his thoughts, however and asked the question that was on the tip of Link's tongue.

"You wish to know of the child's lineage?"

Everything was silent as Link nodded slowly.

"The bloodline within this child descends from the Royal Family." He stated happily.

0000

Everything was quiet. The rest of the Kokiri had finally all retired to their own homes. It was still dark out; the darkest it had been all night. Marickiya lay soundless and motionless while she slept. She had just fallen to the heavy veil of sleep as her thoughts had been awhirl with the activities of the night. Her breathing was slowed and deepened.

'_Wake up!'_

She dreamed. She knew she was dreaming.

'_The Great Deku Tree wants to talk to you!'_

She felt her dream self stretch and turn away from the voice. But then it took on an irritated tone.

'_Hey! C'mon! Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?'_

The confusing question caused her to awake suddenly. Her eyes were still pretty heavy from lack of sleep so she blinked a few times to the get them to stay open. She noticed something bright was fluttering around the room. Her immediate thought was daylight. She looked up to find something very different from daylight. A fairy was flying just in the entrance of the hut trying to get her attention. Looking past the fay, she saw the sky was still very dark. She grumbled on the inside. It started moving towards the outside and it was definitely gesturing for her to follow.

"Ugh, right now?" she breathed as she sat up. The fairy bobbed up and down like it was nodding.

Mari plopped her feet over the side of the bed and shuffled over to the entryway. The fairy flew away and stopped a few feet ahead, leading her. Not that she truly needed the guidance. A line of small shimmering balls of light snaked through the village and through the tunnel at the end that she knew led to the Sprout's clearing.

She walked forward on bare feet and approached the first little light. The grass felt amazingly plush between her toes. She relished in this new sensation. She got so close as to touch the first little light. She wasn't sure whether to walk through it or beside the line. She didn't even know what they were. Out of curiosity, she reached out a touched one with the tip of her finger. It sort of shivered and then the light twinkled out. Only its warmth remained. She guessed from the feeling of life that emanated from them, the little lights could have been infant fairies. She followed the trail they left for her and they all flickered out of existence as she neared them.

Through the wound tunnel, she had arrived in the clearing. The line of fairies had come to an end at the entrance and the fairy who had first woken her up had vanished with them. She stood awkwardly in the darkness not sure if she was really supposed to be there. She had half a mind to return to her bed.

"Welcome, Marickiya of the Gerudo."

She had partly expected this, though it was still somewhat unsettling.

"You know who I am?" She hadn't been introduced earlier.

"I know many things. Mine and my forbearer's roots run very far." Mari instinctively looked down at the ground like she thought she could see through all the dirt to some mystically glowing roots. The clearing was silent for a moment as she straightened and looked around in wonder. She'd never seen such a vast forest before. She didn't really get the chance to take in the scenery earlier. The giant tree behind the sprout boasted an age well beyond two or three generations. Those little lights that led her to the Sprout were gathering above her head, illuminating her and the Deku Sprout's faces. "Do you know why you are here?"

Mari's attention was brought back down to earth as she took in the words.

"Not really," she said self-consciously. _It_ had supposedly led her here. Why was itasking her?

"You are here because of the clutter in your mind, young one. I may be able to help quiet it," the forest itself seemed to take in a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly. Everything was rustling and it was like a hurricane within her thoughts. Her brows furrowed in anxiety. She thought on that statement. She did have a lot on her mind.

"So I was led here because of all my questions. Are you the one who will answer them?" She asked. There was a groaning in the great tree over their heads like a sigh. She looked around at the falling leaves.

"I may be able to answer a few of your questions, yes. All you need to do is ask."

Mari thought hard on this, her tiredness long forgotten. She sat on the ground cross-legged. Infant fairies drifted down and swam in lazy and large circles around her head.

"Am I allowed to ask everything that's on my mind? Or do I have some limit?" The Sprout chuckled and it sounded like wooden chimes clinking against each other in a light breeze.

"No, there are no limitations. Ask away."

Mari began categorizing her thoughts into what had been on her mind the longest.

"I guess I'll start with the general stuff. What am I supposed to be doing here? What's my purpose?" she asked.

"That is completely for you to decide. I can offer you guidance, but it must be you who ultimately decides your fate." The Sprout hummed knowingly. Marickiya folded her arms. She figured she was going to get a vague answer to a relatively vague question.

'_I guess I'll be more specific.' _She scrapped that question.

"Who is Link?"

"Many stories and legends revolve around Link, the Hero of Time." Mari raised an eyebrow at the title. "He has traversed and saved this land from a grave peril: one that is once again threatening the downfall of the Kingdom."

Well, that certainly gave her a lot to digest. Link was some big-shot hero. Was he a knight of Hyrule? The Gerudo were very clear about confrontations with knights. Not that she followed those rules anymore. She sighed internally. Then she remembered something else.

"Do you know a man by the name of Vaati?" she asked. She'd been wondering about this person for a while. He was strange. He gave off a powerful yet reserved aura. Some small roots rustled along the leaves for a second.

"The one you met at the castle. I noticed him before, but I cannot say that I know him, or his origins." Marickiya was a little taken aback by the first statement. Then she remembered that he probably sees a lot of what goes on in the Kingdom on an individual scale. "My advice is that you be wary of him. His intentions are unknown to me." Mari made a face.

"Well, he seemed pretty nice," she said quietly.

She thought long and hard about her next question. She wasn't anticipating a true answer from the Sprout, but she thought it was worth asking. She was a bit nervous about asking it as well. What if the Sprout did know the answer? She took a deep breath.

"I… want to know about my parents." Everything stilled to a calm and quiet state. Already, Mari felt a small weight beginning to lift from her shoulders. She had never aloud questioned the past, or her parents' decisions. She had accepted what she was told and all the while silently wondered. She'd never thought about trying to find out who this Hylian man could have been to have a Gerudo fall for him. But these thoughts filled her head now. For once, she was free and permitted to think these thoughts and they were running rampant. There was that creaking again that signified the deity's knowing smile.

"May I first ask a question of you?" The Sprout said. Mari was a bit surprised at the request.

"I… yes." Was all she could say.

"What is it that you already know of them? What do you not know that makes you ask this?"

She raised her eyebrows and thought back. There were plenty of painful memories that were attached to what she had been told her of her mother.

"I was told by the Gerudo women," she said, collecting her thoughts, "that my mother was a traitor to our tribe. She had illegally mated with a man outside of our race and was punished harshly." She paused and took a steadying breath. Anxiousness filled the pit of her stomach with little fluttering. She idly wondered how much an answer to this one question would change her. "That is all I've been told. I don't even know her name. I know nothing of my father."

"I know you have wondered this the most and the longest. I am the one who will answer. This will also leave you with more questions to ask yourself. They will comfort and frighten you, but you need not dwell on what has been for you are _'you'_ and you will know what is right. Are you prepared for my answer?"

Mari took a gulp of air but still felt short of breath. Nervousness began to stir within her as well.

"I am not sure how prepared I am to hear this, but… I need to know," she said. A gentle breeze played with her hair for a moment and she was able to catch her breath completely.

"I understand. Allow me to begin with who your mother was. I will first reveal that your mother was not Gerudo, but a Hylian." Mari blinked at the abruptness.

"That's…. not possible," she breathed. Her brow furrowed in frustration. How could it be possible? She didn't want to make that particular connection in her head. Her thoughts danced all around it but dared not stray too close. She'd been lied to. She was mistreated for this lie. She was an outcast because all the Gerudo believed her father was Hylian and not their leader…

The thought finally fell into place and she shivered. She was nearly disgusted.

"I'm sorry for you to find out like this. I know it has been hard for you because of this lie." She could not reply. She had no words. The Sprout allowed her a moment of silence to regain her bearings. She took a breath, though her expression remained fierce.

"Alright. Tell me about my mother." She said finally. She wasn't entirely sure if she was ready to accept this just yet. She wanted to hear everything else first.

"Very well. Several years ago, a prophecy was made about someone who would change the course of the future. The exact wording has been lost for it only traveled by word of mouth, but it had told about someone who would begin the line of heroes that would bring peace to all of Hyrule and beyond. It referred to a young woman at the time. She was hidden away so that she would be safe from anyone who would mean her harm. While in hiding, she gave birth to child. This child began that very line of heroes in the prophecy." Marickiya remained silent though she was beginning to question the relevance of the Sprout's words. She couldn't really be descended from a line of 'heroes.' With her skepticism intact, she waited for her place in the story.

"When the child grew old enough, she was allowed out on her own. No one knew of her origin, so she was believed safe in her anonymity. She found love and began a family."

'_I hope he doesn't think I'm going to believe that I'm actually from a normal family,' _She scoffed in her thoughts. But still, she stayed quiet.

"She was not safe however. Someone had found out who she was. She was betrayed. Her identity had found its way to the King of Thieves who had been tirelessly searching for the one from the prophecy. She was taken from her home and family."

She didn't need him to continue to know what happened next. Disbelief was plastered all over her features.

"So, let me make sure I'm following you in all this. There was a prophecy about my mother who is the start of a line of heroes and I…" she crossed her arms, "I'm part of that line?"

"That is correct." The Sprout could read her feelings and knew she doubted. "Perhaps you'd like to see it for yourself?" he offered.

"Oh yes, I'd love to see all this. There's no way I'd believe you otherwise. But exactly how-" she was cut off by that rustling she knew to be roots slithering across the ground. One browned, thin root slinked rapidly towards her and she had no time to react before it touched its tip to her forehead. She yelped in surprise at the abruptness of it.

At first, there was nothing. Right as puzzled words were on her tongue, images flashed in front of her eyes. There was nothing completely coherent. She only caught glimpses of a young woman and a man and a child. They all looked very happy to be together, to be alive. The woman was beautiful with long, wavy dark brown hair and bright olive eyes. Emotions came along with the images and she couldn't help but want this woman to be her mother. She looked so caring. The emotions conveyed through the visions were what made her believe.

She was lost in the simplicity and love expressed so pristinely. Then everything changed. The man and the child disappeared and fear became the dominating sensation. Ganondorf, the sole leader of the Gerudo engulfed an image of the woman. Marickiya could feel her body thrashing, resisting what the apparition revealed to her. She was screaming, or at least attempting to, but no sound would come.

It all stopped. She was released and fell forward. The feeling, so intense before, was completely gone. She was left to her own mind again.

"Did that help you see at all?" the Sprout asked of her. She thought on how unnecessary it was to ask.

"Yes," was all she could get out. The silence that followed was meant for her to calm herself. How could she return to any kind of calm? For the first time in her life, she had seen her mother. Who she was, what she was like. She would relive those images as if they were her own memories for the rest of her life. She would hold onto the happy ones and grieve for the sad ones. She could not stop thinking about everything she'd just witnessed. The memories were flowing through once again when she stopped. Her mother had a family. Who were they? Were they alive?

Her thoughts derailed at this. Guilt seeped into her mixed feelings. She couldn't go to them. They weren't her family. Though she yearned for a normal family, this family wasn't it. She did, however, want to know what happened to her mother after she was born. She voiced this.

"After you were born, she found her way back to her husband. She was very ill and needed special care, something she couldn't get in Hyrule. The family was getting ready to travel away from Hyrule and the war that was waging from another continent, but they didn't leave in time before their convoy was ambushed. In the end, the father had been killed and she barely escaped with her first child." Mari was keeping up with more attention to detail this time. So her mother's husband had died. That must have been especially painful for her.

"Where did she go? Did she find help?" There was no way she could make it on her own after that. Where could she go?

"Allow me to show you what happens next," and with that there was another root sliding across the many dead leaves strewn on the ground toward her. She was prepared for it this time as it lifted and touched her. She steeled herself for another onslaught of images, but it was not forthcoming. Instead, an entire scene began to play out in front of her eyes. A woman with the same dark hair of her mother was running.

Blurred images whirled past and she couldn't really make out any surroundings. She wondered if this was how her mother had seen everything, unable to truly comprehend anything except for escape.

She noticed a lot of green at first, but it was mostly darkness. Then little houses joined with the blurred scenery. After running a bit longer, her mother's footsteps slowed and the scene began to take shape into that of a natural tunnel that looked all too familiar to Mari, as she had traversed it twice that day.

The Great Deku Tree came into view then and Marickiya was astounded at how different it looked. It was alit with a thousand tiny lights and the green of its leaves was a million times more brilliant. There was no sprout sitting in-between its giant roots, she noted.

There was a booming voice that shook the ground where her mother stood. She fell to her knees.

"Why have you entered this sacred ground, Hylian?" It asked. She looked scared for a moment, but then determination overtook her tired features.

"Please!" she begged breathlessly. "Please, allow us sanctuary. I won't live for much longer, I must find a safe place for my son."

"You are asking me to allow you to live here in my forest?" The Deku Tree asked. She shook her head.

"Not me, just my child." She said solemnly. "Please, I've no where else to go."

There was a rumbling in the treetops as a deafening silence followed.

"Very well," the Deku Tree decided. "What is the boys' name?"

"My boy's name," she looked fondly at her beautiful baby boy who looked back at her with loving blue eyes, "is Link." She said finally. The surrounding trees began to blur as Mari watched her mother start to close her eyes unfocusedly.

"Link shall live and grow up in the Kokiri Forest until he is called away by his destiny."

A single tear made its way down her pale cheeks. Before she fell limply towards the forest floor, her baby clutched protectively in her arms, the scene dissolved into inky darkness.

Mari was on her own hands and knees, having fallen at the gravity of what she had seen. She couldn't hold back any tears of her own. She tried calming herself, but couldn't keep her thoughts from her mothers' last moments. The one thing that finally had her come around was the full realization of what the vision had told her. She held her breath to say one thing. Not a question, but a half uttered statement of understanding.

"Link is my…."

0000

A whistling wind tore through the abandoned city, though nothing stirred. There was very little light as there was no sky above, but a cavernous ceiling. The city was rather large, able to hold several hundred inhabitants, but the only sign of life were the tiny campfires dotting the sunless, grayed landscape and the straggling groups of moblins that huddled around them. One small group was chatting away amiably at the topmost room of a tower that loomed over the entire metropolis when one of their fellows appeared at the entrance to the room they were settled in.

"Thasen! Where have you been?" one of the former group had asked of the newcomer. Thasen shrugged.

"I was held up on the surface. There is some interesting news floating around up there," he said with a mischievous grin.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" The same one piped up.

"They're saying," He seemed to pause for effect as most of the group leaned in closer, "the Master has returned."

"What?!" There were many shouts of disbelief and shock. "How can that be? He was defeated!" Another moblin said.

"Defeated, yes. But he was only sealed. His seal was broken," Thasen explained. Most of the group looked on in awe. All, except one.

"That's not possible," he said the quiet one gruffly. The rest of the group quieted themselves and turned to him. He was a little more decorated in uniform than the rest and seemed to be a self proclaimed leader of sorts. Thasen looked to him with defiance.

"Sure it's true." He stated lamely. The leader scoffed.

"And I suppose you saw him with your own eyes?" he glared at Thasen with a challenging gaze.

"Well, no. But-"

"Then I won't believe anything that comes from you." He said with finality. Thasen glowered at him. The other moblins started to whisper to each other. "There's no way that Ganondorf has returned. Why would he? If he was all powerful, why did he need us? And why was he defeated so easily? He was weak, and he will never-"

Suddenly, an angry orb of flame engulfed the spot where the 'lead' moblin had sat. There could be heard some earsplitting screeches as the moblin within it was burnt to a crisp. When the fire had vanished completely, so too had the moblin.

The group was astounded and could not tear their eyes away from the charred and stinking mess that used to be one of their own. They heard a voice and they all nervously turned to face its owner at the entrance to the tower.

"If anyone else has their own differing views of me," the Great Evil King, Ganondorf, boomed, "please, step forward." The air was dangerous as he issued the challenge. He was ready to blow something else up but it was unnecessary as the group of moblins before him began groveling at his feet, uttering praises and titles like 'master' and 'my king.' "That's more like it," he mumbled as he strode into the desolate tower room. He looked at the ragged lot.

"This is a nice place you've found. I'd like it to be our new base of operations," he said. They all grinned at each other and nodded in agreement. "Spread this new information to those above." They began to scramble out of the tower at their masters command. "You two," the last two to leave stopped. It was Thasen and the moblin he had first spoke with. "I want you to stand guard outside this room." They nodded and left, the door closed with a snap. Ganondorf took a relaxing breath. Quiet.

"Lana," he called out to nothing. In the corner of the room, shadows began to swirl and formulate into a solid being. When the blackness receded, a slender young woman in a simple outfit and blonde hair was standing in the midst of the room. She looked towards Ganon and her eyes widened.

"Lord," she took a knee and bowed her head. "It is a surprise to see you."

"I'm sure it is." He said and then fell back. Lana raised an eyebrow at first, but then an extravagant looking armchair materialized and caught him just before he collapsed. He sighed a contented sigh. Lana stood at attention and awaited orders which caused the Evil King to grin.

"Well," he said finally, "it seems I am in need of your services yet again." He opened one eye to see what kind of reaction she would give and was pleased to see her stiffen a bit. He chuckled to himself. _'Like old times…'_

"I need you to go scouting for me." He specified. Her demeanor relaxed a bit. "I want you to follow the Hero of Time and the Sages. Get as much information as you can about their movements." Her expression was that of surprise as he revealed her assignment.

"My Lord, would that be a good idea?" She cringed as he sat up and gave her his full attention. "I mean, the water sage. She will recognize me. I do not know if I am capable of taking on a sage." She explained hastily. He looked like he had a mock pensive look for a moment.

"Very well. Keep track of Link only. I want to know what he's up to. Keep the Temple of Time closely guarded. You don't need to do that yourself," he added when she gave him a pained glance. "Is everything understood?" he asked. She bowed in response.

"Yes, my King." She made to leave but he stopped her.

"Now… your punishment for speaking against my orders," He was upon her in an instant, she couldn't get away. She had been relieved when it appeared that he would overlook her words. But it seemed that had been a farce to catch her off guard. He grabbed her by the chin in a tight grip which she couldn't wriggle out of.

He felt powerful and he relished in the experience. He could completely crush her within his grasp if he so pleased. He wouldn't though. He did have a job for her to do after all. That wouldn't keep him from having a little fun with her before she left though. He had grabbed her wrist with his free hand and pressed her against his body. She had a fearful, but at the same time submissive grimace. She knew it would be better for her to just let him do whatever it was he had in mind. He sneered repulsively.

"Well, isn't this charming?" A quiet voice from the corner made them both start. Someone, who had been leaning against a far wall in the shadows, pushed off of it and stepped into the light.

"Who are you?" Ganon asked none too kindly as he let go of the girl he was gripping. She stumbled, almost falling to the ground.

"No one of importance," the stranger held up his hands in defense. Ganondorf clucked his tongue impatiently.

"Then 'no one of importance' should see themselves out," he held out his hand to the side and a ball of purple energy began to form. He lugged the orb in the newcomers' direction but he simply hopped to one side to avoid it.

"I'm not here to cause a scene, my Lord," he tossed the title around casually which just seemed to anger the Gerudo King even more, but he didn't throw another magical sphere. He waited for the unwanted visitor to continue. "I merely happened upon this place out of curiosity. I assure you, I'll be out of your hair shortly." The following glower was Ganon taking in his full appearance. He seemed simple enough, a traveling cloak, long silver hair, and an annoyingly familiar violet cap. What was most off-putting about the stranger was how much power he was emitting. He hadn't sensed the man a few moments ago, but his presence completely filled the room now. Was he hiding his power and his essence so that Ganon wouldn't sense him, or had he really just appeared there by chance? He decided that he didn't want to fight this person. He would rather find out what his true purpose of coming to this particular tower was. He stood straight from his crouched, offensive position.

"Lana," he said without looking at her, "get to your duties." She was gone the instant he had finished his sentence. Now it was just Ganon and the unnamed man.

"Who are you?" he repeated with less anger in his voice. The man smiled.

"I am Vaati," he gave an over-the-top bow, "At your service."

"Vaati," Ganondorf tasted the name in his mouth. "What is it you're really doing here?" The man began to walk around the room nonchalantly.

"I had stumbled upon this underground city and was checking it out well before you arrived." He stated lazily in a 'ho-hum' sort of manner. "Then I happened upon that little scene a few moments ago." He flashed him a toothy grin. "I was on my way out actually, but I figured I'd introduce myself before I left."

"You're introduced. Now you can leave." Ganon said a bit gruffly. Vaati chuckled.

"Right, I did tell you I'd soon be out of your hair." Ganon and Vaati held firm gazes for a second when a thought struck the King.

"You're a sorcerer." He said bluntly. "And you're not from this country; else I would have sensed your strong power before." Vaati took the near-compliment in stride. Ganondorf squinted his eyes unpromisingly, "What is your true purpose for coming here?"

The mage turned to face him and his cloak had parted to reveal light violet robes beneath them. He held his arms out and the edges of his frame began to shimmer slightly.

"My friend, I am simply an observer."

With that, he had vanished from the tower in a shadowy wisp, essence and all. The lingering grin that was burned into Ganon's visage unsettled him greatly.


	6. Chapter 6

Battle Plans

"Well," Link said, standing beside Mari as they stared at the throng of people milling about, "This place got a lot bigger since the last time I visited."

Lon Lon Ranch was bustling with bodies. People were flitting in and out of huts, tents, a couple houses here and there, selling, buying, and overall attempting to settle in. Why were there so many people? Well that's a silly question, he thought to himself. He began recognizing faces from Kakariko and realized that this was the overflow from the village. The Sages had moved everyone to the Ranch so that they could more effectively protect them.

But boy had the Ranch grown! The entrance couldn't be seen through all of the people and houses. A wall had been built around the new dwellings and you had to meander through the small town to reach the original ranch. He was making a path with his eyes through the crowd towards where he guessed Malon's house might be when he noticed Marickiya was no longer at his side.

It didn't surprise him that she had wandered off on her own. He assumed that she had perhaps seen some glinting trinket and made her way straight to it. Sure enough, when he spotted her auburn head, she was bent over some shiny ornaments with a look of awe. He resisted rolling his whole head with his eyes, though a grin peeked through one corner of his lips.

He trudged over to her trying to make his appearance obvious, but she was lost to the sale's pitch of some vendor. He grabbed her hand to drag her away but she jumped at the contact and her attention was finally on him. Her eyes went from his hand wrapped around hers and then to his face, her expression unreadable. He let go, thinking it may have been uncomfortable for her and cleared his throat.

"Um," he began, "I am going to go ahead and look for the Sages. You're free to join me if you like. Or," he added quickly as he could see her interest was slipping away again, "I could meet up with you later." She looked like she didn't have to think about her response but gave him the time to finish his statement.

"I'd like to do a bit of shopping." He nodded.

"Alright, I'll leave you to it then. I'll meet you," he looked up and around people milling about and gestured to the cobble stoned epicenter where all the shops and houses fanned out in a circular fashion, "Just over there in the center of town." She nodded.

They waved to each other as they parted leaving the vendor to sulk.

Marickiya watched as Link's now very recognizable green cap disappeared among the other heads crowding the city center. She tore her gaze from where she was staring to face the line of shops strewn out before her.

'_Where to start?' _she thought idly as she eyed each store front individually. None really held anything remotely close to what she sought. She moved her feet to the march of the masses and began her search, not knowing just how short it was going to be.

An elderly feminine chuckle reached her ears that irritated her near instantly. Her attention was brought to the owner of the voice. She eyed them warily as she was beckoned forward. An older woman dressed in a billowing robe sitting outside of a massive tent sat waiting for her approach.

"My dear, you'll catch cold dressed like that." The woman said simply as Mari arrived within arms reach. Mari absent mindedly checked herself even though she knew what she'd find. Earlier that morning while they were readying to leave the forest, she had offhandedly complained about wearing her ball gown the whole way. Hearing this, the small Kokiri thought to gift her with her very own Kokiri uniform. Link laughed as she was led away from their horses to change into the green of the forest. There was quite a problem with her new outfit however. It was originally meant for a small child. Short as she may be, the garments' dimensions were ill suited for her. Link, of course, had promptly lost himself in a fit of laughter and she couldn't very well dismiss the Kokiri girls' kindness. Link's earlier teasing ever present in the back of her mind, she scoffed internally and began to move away.

"Thanks for the concern, ma'am," she said dryly as she turned, but something clamped firmly around her wrist that forced her to stop. She faced the woman who had grabbed her with a frail looking hand. The woman in turn gave a cheeky grin.

Quicker than an eye could follow, the woman's free arm shot from inside her robes and back up to Mari's shoulder. She blinked, thinking to be struck. When no blow was forthcoming, she looked down dazedly at what the old lady was doing. She had a length of tape with markings on it stretched from the top of her shoulder to her fingertips. She was making measurements.

Mari just stared in amazement. She was definitely looking for a tailor and she definitely found one. She just wasn't so sure she wanted it to be _this_ old hag.

"I think we can help each other out, my dear." The woman continued to stretch her tape over different parts of Mari's torso, muttering mental notes to herself along the way.

"How's that?" Mari asked, still in her dry tone. She was met with another grin.

"You need some desperate adjustments to your…" she cut off, nodding her head in search of the right word, "outfit," she stuttered, "and I'd very much like the get a look at that blue fabric poking out of your bag."

Mari didn't need to look down this time to know what she was referring to, as the very thing she mentioned was already at the fore of her mind. She needed a tailor to possibly fix up her Kokiri garb to a better fit, and she was hoping to repay Link for the extravagant dress he had helped pay for. This lady fit both criteria she had. She thought it over and decided that the deal was unfortunately necessary. Groaning inwardly, she allowed the grinning hag to lead her into her large tent by the hand she still held.

Once inside, Mari could definitely tell that the lady did this sort of stuff for a living. Differently colored fabrics absolutely littered the place, along with more of those measuring tapes she had pulled from her person. The lady moved about the room and gathered materials. Then she had Mari stand upright in the center where there was less of a mess with her arms stretched out. This time with a writing utensil and paper, she began making more and more measurements at a quick pace, with more muttering and furious scribbling to follow. Mari thought not to interrupt her so she busied herself with her surroundings.

It wasn't long though, before Old Hag had finished with her tasks and she had moved away to grab something. Mari put her arms down just in time for the seamstress to whip around and thrust something into them.

"Go change into this." It was a simple, long chemise and cincher. "In the meantime, can I get a better look at your interesting blue fabric?" Mari nodded and reached into her bag she had dropped by the tents' entrance and fished it out for her. The light in the lady's eye became brighter and for a moment, she looked several years younger. She gently took Mari's gown and began looking over every inch of it, while Mari made her way to change.

When she returned, she was straightening out any folds the dress had accumulated while in the more private part of the tent. She clutched her Kokiri outfit as she watched the lady, hunched over her blue gown, still talking fervently with herself and sketching something into the same little notebook she had used for measurements. She giggled to herself which pulled her out of her near trance-like state and brought her attention on Mari again. Her eyes lit up.

"That suits you well my dear. You may end up walking away with it completely simply because I like the way it looks on you." She gave Mari a wink and Mari just smiled sweetly back. She was just about ready to be done being inside this tent with the woman. "Oh, you can hand me that," she had gestured at the green fabric in Mari's hands. Practically snatching it from Mari, she pinned a small piece of paper to it, then tossed it aside. With all distractions out of the way, she rounded on the girl and adopted a serious tone.

"Here is my offer. I will do the alterations for free. Keep the dress you're wearing. And I will give you a hundred rupees for this," she held the dress aloft.

Mari failed to keep the surprise off of her face. A hundred rupees was more than Link had paid to help purchase it. Coming out of her reverie, she nodded in agreement.

"Good, good!" The smiling old lady seemed happier than ever. "Now, then. Here's your payment," she handed Mari a small leather pouch with a rupee emblem on one side. "Those alterations won't take me terribly long. I'll ask that you come back at sunset to pick up your garments." They nodded to each other and Mari was finally free of the tent's interior. She left the old woman scrambling around the tent gathering pieces of fabric together in the center of the room where a strange looking machine had appeared. She could only guess that it was the thing that stitched the fabric together.

The sun was a bit brighter when she stepped outside; she had to shield her eyes with her hand for a moment to acclimate. Once the ability to see the swarm of people outside, she took a step forward, wondering where she should shop next.

It was like someone walked by and whispered her name. Just as she was about to look around to search for the voice, something darted right in front of her face and made her jump out of her skin.

Marickiya closed her eyes momentarily from the initial shock and took a quiet steadying breath. Opening her eyes to look around in search of the thing that startled her so much, she noticed a shimmer of light come from a nearby roof. It was a small white bird. She laughed internally for being so frightened. The bird's feathers were the purest of white which accounted for its glimmering appearance. It peered down at her from the rooftop.

She gathered her wits and continued her pace down the line of shops keeping a close eye on the white bird as it flitted from roof to roof, very obviously following her movements. She took note of its strange details. Though she lived in the desert all her life, she had seen plenty of different birds from books and the like. Nothing from her memory matched what she saw. Its most interesting feature, she thought, would have to be its tail. It was twice as long as its body and consisted of two thin feathers. She would have thought it was one single feather if it weren't for whenever it took flight, they split a part in a scissor like effect. It was a mesmerizing creature.

Soon, it was leading her towards an alley in between two of the bigger houses in town and Mari was forced to make a decision. It would most certainly be idiotic of her to blindly amble down the darkened space. Curiosity was a powerful thing, however. On her guard, she looked around for a second, then tip-toed out sight.

She ducked into the alleyway and saw a tall, hooded person just a few feet away. Already she was having misgivings and was ready to bolt if things took a bad turn. Though, something seemed familiar about the way this figure carried itself. Almost as if they could read her thoughts, the person pulled their hood back to reveal long silver hair that fell in front of one eye.

"Vaati," she exclaimed a bit too loudly. He held his hands up to silence her and gave her a meaningful look. She sidled in a bit closer so they could speak quieter. She felt slightly abashed for being so startled. "What are you doing here?" she asked casually and gestured at the area between the houses.

"Are you traveling with someone named Link?" He said in a hushed tone. She raised an eyebrow at his forwardness and wasn't sure what to think.

"Yes," she said slowly. "Why? Do you know him?" His face muscles twitched for a second and she was sure he was about to say 'yes,' but then he gave a small shake of his head.

"No," he said. Mari's eyebrow went a little bit higher. "I'm here to give you a warning. You are being followed." He stated simply. Both her eyebrows were up now.

"By who? What do they want?" she asked.

"It is a woman. She travels by shadows and she is working under someone by the name of 'Ganondorf,'" at the name, Mari's face darkened a bit. "Do you know of him?" Her only reply was a curt nod.

He became very still suddenly and threw a furtive glance towards the crowd. She followed his gaze, but could see nothing too suspicious. He rounded back on her.

"I do not believe she means any harm just yet. I suggest you be careful with what you discuss publicly."

"Alright," she said. He was already turning to leave down into the darker recesses of the passageway. She took an uncertain step towards him as if she were about to grab at his hand or something, but she stood still in her half attempt. He noticed her movement and stopped to look back at her.

"Yes?" he questioned. She took her hand back from its hovering, and then swallowed.

"Thank you." His one eyebrow visible to her went up a bit. At first she thought he was cocking an eyebrow at her, but something about the way he carried himself made her think he may have actually been a little surprised. "You've helped me twice now." He turned away. "Why are you helping me?" she finally asked.

There was a blanket of quiet over them for a moment. Even the noises from the square faded away. Vaati spoke his next words softly and Mari strained to catch every one.

"I do not have an answer for you currently as I too am being watched." The quiet was becoming deafening then. She felt pressure pushing in from all directions on her head. It was dizzying. "Remember my warning. Keep your guard up." Vaati began to walk away into an especially darkened corner. Mari felt the desire to call out for him to wait, but no words would come forth. Her vision was becoming hazy.

Just as she was wondering what was even happening to her, the pressure lifted and sound returned to her ears. She blinked several times trying to snap herself out of her daze. Looking down the path into the darkness where Vaati had been standing previously, she now saw no one. She stared at the last spot she'd seen his glimmering silver hair. One thought rung out amidst the confusion.

Vaati was a sorcerer, and he had definitely just used magic to disappear.

0000

"The Temple is being guarded?" Link asked of the room full of Sages. Most of them were huddled around the round wooden table in the center of the room. Nabooru leaned against the wall across from the door, and little Saria sat on the bed. The only one not present was the water sage who currently resided in Zora's Domain, much to his relief. They were borrowing Malon's bedroom for their meeting for privacy. Impa took charge and had been the one answering most of his questions.

"Yes. It is where the Master Sword resides after all." She folded her arms and looked at the table that was littered with paper and books. "It would be difficult for the Hero of Time to return without his weapon. Equally, it is just as hard to go in weaponless to retrieve it."

"Then we'll have to put that aside for the moment." Link shook his head in dismiss. He folded his hands and then rested his head on them in a thought. "Would I even be able to?" Link asked timidly. "To pull it again?" He couldn't tell from Impa's look if she thought his question was a pointless one. "I mean," he tried to explain himself more; "I laid it to rest back then. I accomplished what I needed it for. So, would I be able to awaken it again?" When he finished his hurried inquiry, he held his breath and waited. Impa had a pensive look.

"Only the Hero of Time will ever be able to pull it from the stone if he has need of it. I'm sure if you make your will evident, it will awaken." Link was only somewhat satisfied with the answer he got. Everyone looked towards the door when the sound of feminine giggling could be heard beyond it. The door crept open and revealed Malon and Marickiya standing there a bit abashed.

"Oh, were we loud?" Malon asked with a sweet smile.

"No, not at all, you can come in." Link said, sitting up a little straighter. His eyes flicked over Mari's new outfit questioningly. She caught it and flashed him an almost mischievous grin. He shrugged it off.

Then her gaze fell on Nabooru. Instantly, her face was set in a scowl and she opened her mouth to say something, even let out a half a word before she looked around at Link. Then she shrunk back. Nabooru had a somber look to her. From Nabooru's request to speak to her privately and then this, he gathered that they really did need to talk. He decided to keep this short then.

"Alright, then. Marickiya?" Her eyebrows rose. "The situation stands as this; the village is infested with a horde of Moblins. They attacked last night while everyone was being brought here. I'm going to scope out the place, get a head count, and get my weapons from the house." She nodded in understanding. He gave a nod of his own. "We're leaving when it starts getting dark."

"Okay. I have something I need to do at sunset. Can we leave after?" She had a finger to her lip as she remembered the old lady with her Kokiri garb.

"Yes, that'll be fine." Mari 'Oh'-ed as he said this. He looked at his companion. She clearly had something to say.

"I, um…" she suddenly wasn't sure where to start, "I met with someone in the market today. His name is Vaati." Blank stares surrounded her. "None of you know him?" she asked with uncertainty. Link shook his head. "He has long silver hair and red eyes and-"

"Sounds to me like he's a Sheikah," Nabooru interjected. Mari thought on it.

"It's possible. He knew who you were, Link." That one got Link's attention.

"What did he say?" he asked interestedly. Mari was glad someone was fascinated by her gossip.

"He gave me a warning." The room grew still at this and Mari took notice that all eyes were fixated on her. "He said that we are being watched. A scout sent from Ganondorf."

Most everyone's expressions were dark. Impa seemed rather unfazed.

"It's not surprising he'd be on the move so quickly. Keep your wits about you," she demanded at Link.

"About Vaati," Mari continued and Link looked from Impa back to her, "I'm fairly certain he's a sorcerer." This particular bit of news actually caused Impa to unfold her arms and scrutinize the girl carefully.

"What makes you say that?" She watched her as she explained.

"Well, he's disappeared on me twice now-"

"You've met twice? Before today?" Link asked with a grim look.

"Yeah, I first saw him at the ball. He gave me a warning there, too." She looked uncomfortable. This news was troubling everyone, though she hadn't meant it to come across that way. She didn't see the man as a threat. "He said the castle wasn't safe," listening to herself, she could see why everyone was taking all this the way they were.

"How does he disappear?" Impa was still interested in the 'sorcerer' part. Mari thought about what had happened in the alley, when her head became fuzzy and unclear. How he seemed to meld right into the shadows themselves. She tried to relay how she felt earlier to the best of her memory. Impa placed her hands on the table and closed her eyes. Then when she stood, she fixed her gaze on Mari.

"That man is not a Sheikah." She looked between the Hero of Time and the girl. "None of them use any kind of magic like that." Everything returned to the stillness it had adopted when Mari first mentioned the sorcerer.

"Be careful around him, Mari." Link uttered to her quietly. She gave him a somewhat defiant frown, but he had looked away before he saw anything. She chose not to discuss her view of Vaati at that moment. There was a not so discreet cough from Nabooru's direction. Link perked up.

"Right," he looked to the other sages who took their cues to leave the room. Then he directed his next words at Mari. "I will meet you back here when you finish with your errand at dusk." She affirmed quietly as he closed the door behind him, leaving the two Gerudo women alone in the dimly lit bedroom.

Mari waited until she could hear no footsteps down the staircase and the door below close before she tiptoed to the bed slowly and sat herself at the end, her feet hanging off the side. She severely hated the silence that stood between them. Who would begin?

"Marickiya," Nabooru pushed off of the wall she was leaning against and Mari looked up. "I am glad to see you are doing well." Mari looked into her eyes for a moment, then, when she could no longer stand it, broke away, hiding tears that were quickly forming. The Gerudo woman also looked downcast and sighed. "You have every reason to be angry with me," Mari had stood up so quickly, it startled the both of them. She looked on with a fierce gaze.

"I could never be angry with you. After all you had done for me." Not entirely sure why her anger was stirred so easily, she could do nothing to abate it. The words flowed freely from her heart. "No. I am not angry with you. I am angry that you had been gone for so long and no one ever batted an eye. No one ever tried to find you! They were all so comfortable without you there!" Without truly allowing it to happen, Mari had let a sob escape her lips. Then the tears came. She held her face trying to hide what could already clearly be seen. Nabooru approached her and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. Mari looked up for a second, and then wrapped the woman in her slender arms. Nabooru, although a bit taken aback from the embrace, returned it. "I missed you. I was worried. You could have been hurt and I could do nothing."

"Hush, child. It's all done with." She said firmly while tugging slightly at the shorn ends of her hair. Her face became dark. "They did this to you didn't they?" Marickiya stepped back and was wiping away tear with the back of her hand. Sniffling, she nodded.

"I can't go back." She said quietly. Nabooru put her hands on her hips.

"No one's sayin' you have to." There was a pause. Mari almost tried to clarify her meaning of the word 'can't'. Nabooru sat down on the bed and Mari set herself down next to her. "Sounds like you had a pretty rough time while I was gone. I'm sorry for that." Mari's stare was set firmly on the floorboards. Nabooru figured she wanted anything other than to talk about it.

"Like you said, it's all done with. I escaped with my life. So… that's what matters." She let out a slow breath.

"It seems like you bagged yourself a nice catch," Nabooru jabbed lightheartedly. Mari, however, only looked up in confusion. "He's a great kid, let me tell you." Then the understanding light shone in Mari's expression and she chuckled a bit.

"Oh, it isn't anything like that." She smiled warmly. "But you're right. He is a good kid."

0000

"Link, I don't think this is a good idea."

"Sure it is." He continued to make sure that Mari was firmly attached to his side as he began aiming his hookshot at a nearby rooftop.

"No really, Link. You don't even know if that's going to hold the both of us. What if it snaps?"

"Aw, it'll be fine." He clicked the button signifying his readiness.

"Link, have you thought about just sneaking around the side? There aren't that many of them. We could just walk right up the stairs…" she was mumbling and he was too busy concentrating on aiming. He closed one eye and released.

It was so quiet Mari hadn't heard the hookshot's chain traveling through the air. It attached to the nearest roof just as Link had intended. He glanced at Mari to ask if she was ready but she was lost in her own ramblings. He rolled his eyes internally and grabbed her tight around the midriff, jumping up onto their crate they hid behind.

They were off with a small 'eep' from the girl he held onto. Soon, they arrived at their spot on the roof and alighted gently. There was a pause as they steadied themselves.

"That wasn't terrible." She grumbled.

"Good, because we're doing it again."

They hookshot over to their roof, drop down to their front door and slink inside, Link constantly checking behind him to make sure they weren't spotted.

"We've got to make this quick," Link began to whisper hurriedly but Mari cut across him.

"I know, I know." She assured him with a wave of her hand and hopped deftly up towards her loft. "It's not like I've that much stuff anyway," she mumbled more to herself.

She riffled through her possessions picking out what was needed. There were a few clothing articles to account for, two small daggers she was glad to have back on her leg holsters, and a few other small trinkets. With everything gathered in a neat little pile, she unceremoniously shoved it all little by little into her bag. As she was about to clasp her bag closed with much room to spare, something grabbed her attention rather vigorously.

She held still for quite a few seconds, forgetting about the constraint on time, looking in the direction of the tall bookshelf that went all the way up to the edge of her loft.

Sitting on the top shelf a few books in was the thing that got her attention; a book with a strange design on the spine with no title or author. Lost in her own mind wondering where on earth she'd seen the symbol before, she reached slowly towards the tome.

"Mari. Time. That thing we're running out," Link whispered from the door. She threw him a quick glance as he spoke, then without thinking, grabbed the book from the shelf and threw it into her partially filled bag.

They traded places and Link started to fumble around with his weapons, spare tunics, and contraptions. Not even a full minute into his purge, Mari was alerted by movement just outside the door. She opened a small crack to see a Moblin grunting towards the portal. She whips around and whispers very quietly.

"We've got company."

He ducked behind the countertop completely out of sight. Mari took a split second to glance around, then set her bag down and scale the bookshelf next to the entrance. As she's pressing herself into the corner's shadow, the door bursts open and in stomps a Moblin.

Marickiya suddenly formed a haphazard plan. There was only one of them. With her legs propped on top of the shelf and the frame of the door, she quietly pulled out the two daggers she'd previously placed in her leg holsters. Then she positioned herself over the sniffing Moblin. Without a second thought or looking at Link to show what she was doing, she promptly let herself fall, daggers pointed at the back of the things' head.

It was a quick death. The thing didn't even have time to grunt in pain, though it did have a startled expression in its dying features. Mari smiled and was picking herself up off the floor in a congratulatory fashion. Then two sounds met her ears. One was Link harshly whispering her name in caution and a grunt from behind her.

Before she could turn to face what she knew was a second Moblin, a miscalculation, there was thud and she was thrown into the shelf, hit from behind with something large and heavy. The wind was completely knocked out of her and she had to blink several times to come to terms with what had happened.

"Marickiya," Link was at her shoulder with a hand moving across her back. She was propped on her hands and finally getting some air back into her lungs. "Marickiya, are you alright?" Link had annunciated the words separately and clearly as if he'd had to utter them a few times. Mari gave a gruff nod and turned to look behind them where her enemy stood.

There were two Moblin bodies lying in the entrance; the one Mari had taken care of, and, now that Mari was starting to make sense of the situation, she could make out an arrow imbedded in the eye socket of the second Moblin who'd bested her. Link was still running a finger down her back.

"What is it?" Mari asked not even attempting to contort her back that had been so brutally beaten.

"That was a spearhead," he gestured at the weapon in the slacked hand of the fallen Moblin. "It should have cut right through your shirt." He said wonderingly. There was a distant reminder that they were still in danger in the form of more Moblin grunts. Link shook his head. "Later. I hope you're ready to go." He grabbed Mari's arm to pull her up and out of the door. Link was tightening his own satchel to his person and then kept a drawn bow as he rounded corners. Marickiya retrieved her own bag and they began making their way out.

"Link, I'm sorry," Mari said.

"Not now," was his curt reply. This only caused Mari to feel worse. Link peered around a corner for quite a while, taking lots of mental notes. "Follow me closely." He said when he turned back to face her. She gave the smallest of nods and he was off, quick as a rabbit. It wasn't too difficult to keep up, but she paid extra attention so as not to slip up again.

They weren't taking the stairs like they'd used to come in this time. Link felt it would be easier to best one or two Moblins around corners than alert the lot of them to their presence if they weren't quick enough. As it turned out there were only two Moblins on patrol in the winding sloping dirt path. They were clear of the walls in no time, but Link wouldn't be at ease until they reached their horses; he was constantly throwing glances over his shoulder back at the entrances. They weren't followed. They quickly mounted their steeds and were riding back to Lon Lon.

Marickiya was shamed to have been caught off guard in front of Link. The scenario was replaying in her head and it made her stomach do flips from sheer embarrassment. Though, she was impressed at how quick Link was on his feet. She wasn't sure how long she'd been delirious for, but Link was so fast to nock an arrow and have it wedged into that Moblin's skull within the same second. His targeting skills were amazing. She thought to herself for a moment.

"Link," she started to say. They were coming up on the ranch soon and so had slowed their horses' pace. They could speak now without yelling over the clopping of hooves. Before she could say more, Link had held up a hand.

"You don't have to apologize." He said with an understanding tone. Mari gave him a look even though he was facing away from her.

"I've already done that," she said somewhat tartly. That caused Link to turn his head a bit to the side to watch her out of his peripherals. "I wanted to ask you; who taught you how to fight like you do?" Link looked skyward and put a finger to his chin whilst still holding onto the reigns. He hummed in thought.

"I used to spar a bit with the children I grew up with. Other than that, everything I've learned, I taught myself. It's something you pick up as you go when you're constantly in battle." He said with a nod. "Why do you ask?" A dawning expression suddenly took over his features. "You want me to teach you?" The question was more a disbelieving query than an offer.

"I had hoped you could show me a thing or two," she smiled teasingly as his demeanor became discomfited.

"I've never had to teach anyone anything before. But I will try to show you some things." They were pulling into the stables just outside the new village entrance. "One thing I have noticed is that you're a pretty good fighter," she beamed at his compliment, "but you're completely out of your capacity when you have more than one opponent." She gave a grimace to match that statement. "That's something we can work on over the next few weeks."

"Few weeks?" Mari said. Link nodded.

"Yes. My head count was at or around thirty-seven. It's going to take a bit of planning and training, but we are taking back Kakariko."


	7. Chapter 7

Provision Revision

The sun had not yet finished peeking over the horizon, but Marickiya was already awake and felt no urge to continue sleeping. Before waking, and not completely in the realm of clarity, her dream-like thoughts were weaving in and out of her mind. They had mostly been remnants from the past few weeks.

Training had been tough for her and everyone who volunteered for the battle for Kakariko. It wasn't something she was unaccustomed to, but the style of fighting she was learning from Link was vastly different from what she had grown up with. At first his teachings were a little all over the place, but once he got a rhythm for what she needed to know, he came up with a bunch of different scenarios where she'd be surrounded and have to fight her way through. She was getting better, but it was definitely not her strongest point.

As these memories were running laps in her barely conscious mind, something she hadn't spared a thought for in several days suddenly jumped out at her, causing her to awaken suddenly.

Looking around the small tent she and Nabooru shared just outside Malon's ranch house, she noticed the other Gerudo woman had also awoken early and wasn't present. She expected it from the woman. Link was staying inside the house in the downstairs room where he'd been put up by the insistence of Malon. She smiled at the memory of her all but begging him to stay in her house. Marickiya, seeing as there was no one to disturb with her rummaging, pulled two items from within her equipment. One was a book. It was the one she'd on a whim taken from Link's house because something about it was familiar to her. The second was an interesting sheet of paper.

This sheet of paper wasn't that interesting to her initially. It only revealed its significance when she pulled the book from the top shelf of her loft a few weeks back. The day she and Link had gone to scout out the village, when Mari had gone to retrieve her newly altered garments, the old Sheikah lady pulled out a roll of tied parchment from within her cloak she seemed to always be wearing and handed it to her.

"What's this?" Mari gave the woman a puzzled look. She received a toothy grin in response.

"A friend of mine asked me to give this to the one who had previously owned the newly acquired blue dress in my shop." She stated matter-of-factly as if that were explanation enough. Mari simply stared blankly. "She said you would be needing it soon." She wrapped up with an all-knowing smug look. Marickiya, not truly wanting anything more to do with this strange woman, merely thanked her and waved good-bye. As the woman turned to retreat back into her large tent, Mari shook her head while laughing lightly to herself. As she made her way to Link's meeting place, she unrolled the parchment. It was a full-length page of translation notes.

As fascinating as old Hylian was, she did not see why this woman, whom she'd never met, felt the need to give these notes to her. Unless this second, assumingly old, woman could see into the future, Mari was stumped by what would make her believe she needed them.

After skimming through the page for a second longer and taking in the glyphs, she rolled it back up and stuffed it into her bag where it would most likely be staying for a long while before she decided to simply throw it out. She met up with Link and they made their way to Kakariko. That's where the book came into play.

With the two items in hand, and grabbing a quill with ink on her way, Mari hopped back down onto her cot where she'd slept. She turned over the tome in her hands searching the cover for anything significant. The only thing that stood out was the single symbol on the front and side binding that had caught her attention in the first place. Other than that, there was neither a title nor an author. Discerning nothing else useful, she moved over to the notes she'd been given and poured over them looking for something similar to the symbol. After skimming the several rows of letters and glyphs a few times, at first quickly, then going back and being more thorough, she didn't find anything that matched. She hummed in minor annoyance and looked away from the notes. Her eyes lazily trailed between the two items before her as she began to wonder if the notes were even translating the right language. Then something caught her eye. One of the glyphs looked like the bottom half of her book's symbol. Then it became clear.

It didn't take her long to find the top half when she was looking for it. The two halves together formed two parts of a word. The symbol was the title and the title was 'Truth'. Well that was very interesting. She idly speculated if this book was some religious literature while she opened the front cover. She turned a few pages in to find a single page with some more of the glyphs positioned in the center. With her notes in one hand and the quill in another, she began slowly writing the translation of the subtitled page. After a few moments of going back and forth between the two texts, Marickiya had a second, handwritten title below the old Hylian passage. It read, 'The Legend of the Triforce.'

She put down her quill and thought for a moment as she stared into the black ink she'd put on the paper. She didn't know what a Triforce was, but she felt like she should know. She raked her mind for any small detail about this Triforce, but could think of nothing. And yet, at the same time, she felt it was something of absolute importance…

"Hey girly! I see you're awake," Nabooru had entered the tent in the midst of her train of thought. She looked up at the older Gerudo woman.

"Yeah," she folded up her notes and placed them inside the front cover, "I woke up a little while ago and didn't feel like trying to go back to sleep." She stood up and started to stretch her limbs. Her loose undershirt made it easy to stretch out all her muscles to their fullest.

"Link sent me in here to see if you were awake yet. I told him you wouldn't be." She snickered as the young girl stuck her tongue out at her.

"What does he need?" she asked.

"Oh, he wants to begin today's training." Nabooru replied. Mari gave a disbelieving scoff.

"Already? Does he know what time it is?" Mari complained as she began putting her boots on.

"Hence why I said you'd still be sleeping." Mari rolled her whole head with her eyes making sure Nabooru could see. "Speaking of that boy, have you told him?" Mari stopped lacing her shoe to turn and give her a look. She had told her what she'd learned at the Kokiri Forest and instantly regretted the decision to do so as Nabooru simply would not shut up about it.

"Nab, if you're going to ask me that every time we have a conversation, I'm done talking to you." The older woman laughed at her spunk and sat down next to her. Mari continued onto her second boot.

"I don't mean to pester you. I'm just so excited. You've wondered your whole life about your family and you've finally found it." There was a happy gleam in her eye that Mari couldn't ignore.

"I know, I know," Mari sighed and gave a smile of her own. "I'm happy, too, believe me." Then the smile faltered a bit. "I just don't know that it's the right time to tell him. And even when the time comes, I'm not sure I'll know what to say." She tightened the last knot on her boots and sat up with a downcast expression.

"You're worried about what he'd think." Mari's shoulders hunched.

"He'll ask about what I know. And I'll have to tell him. I'll have to tell him what that sorry excuse for a human did to…" she couldn't finish her sentence. She shook her head, her shorn hair flying about her face. "I can't right now. Not under these circumstances."

Nabooru set a firm hand on her shoulder and Mari looked up.

"I'm sure you will figure out what's best for the two of you. For now, you should stick together." Mari smiled warmly. Nabooru smiled back and gave her a brief hug. Then she jumped up off the cot with a bounce. "Alright! Onto today's training!" she quipped energetically. Marickiya groaned.

0000

They found Link speaking to a group of burly looking men. He waved them over as they neared. He's giving different situations about how a battle might play out and the men would bounce off of him. They were making several back up plans in case their first one didn't work. Link was good about thinking ahead like that. They wrapped things up soon after Mari and Nabooru's arrival. Most of the men left except for one older looking man with a dark beard and calloused hands.

"You ready for some training today?" Link asked of Mari enthusiastically with his hands on his hips. She gave him a thumb's up and a grimace. "Good." He dropped his overly enthused manor, "This is Orin," he gestured at the bearded man and she and him shook hands. "He's been helping out a lot with the battle plans and is a great strategist. He's going to be training with you and me." Mari nodded. That made the day's exercise s seem more interesting to her.

"How many people have we got volunteering for this now?" Nabooru asked out of curiosity.

"More than enough, I think. A little over fifty." Link's hand went up to his chin in thought. "I'm not too sure about a few. The Moblins are going to be tough."

"We can hold our own," Orin assured the hero. Link nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good. Don't dawdle too long on conversation; Marickiya isn't too keen on training today." Nabooru teased. Mari shoved her a bit and she giggled.

"Alright, then. Let's get to it." Link said.

The groups that were all volunteering for this big fight to take back their village were set up outside the Ranch town's outer wall. They had dummies where several men were practicing the sword with. There was a shooting range for the archers. There was another quieter area where Mari saw the men Link had met with earlier relaying new battle strategies to a few groups. Link led her and Orin through the practicing fighters, receiving a few 'hello's' on the way. They stopped a little ways away from the sword-fighters and their dummies. On the ground were three swords of differing lengths and a leather chest-plate. Mari knew that was for her.

"Okay, today we're going to try something a little different. We are using real swords." He lifted them up and handed one to Mari and Orin, keeping one for himself.

"Ya-a-a-a-ay," Mari said quietly.

"And this is for you," he hefted the leather piece from the ground which seemed to have some weight to it.

"I figured," she sighed as he lifted it over her head. With it resting on her shoulders, she could definitely feel the weighty protection it was supposed to offer. Link tightened a couple straps on her side and took a step back.

"We're both going to attack you." _'Figured that, too,'_ she said internally. Link twirled the short sword he had kept for himself in his hand for a moment then looked up. "Let's go," he said and without any other warning, lunged forward. Mari easily blocked his oncoming attack, though she was driven into an unfavorable stance. She wouldn't be able to knock him off of her easily.

Suddenly, the wind was knocked out of her as the blunt side of a blade made contact with her ribcage. She was thrown to the ground with an 'oomph'.

It hadn't been hard enough to completely disorient her. Orin had dropped to a knee and was asking if she was alright with a hand outstretched for her to take.

"You have to be aware of all your enemies." She was agitated by Link's voice and they were only a few minutes into the day's work-out. "I told him not to go easy on you."

Mari took Orin's hand and stood to face her two opponents. "Are you ready this time?" So he knew she hadn't been ready? The only thing she responded with was a determined scowl pointed directly at Link. He gave her a twisted grin. "Good. Again."

It went on like this for a few hours. Mari was getting a bit better at keeping an eye on both Link and Orin's blades. She was mostly intent on not letting Link getting any hits in as his were most assuredly harder. After a while, Orin was only able to graze her as she jumped out of the way of his attack while keeping him in her line of sight. She was still knocked down quiet a lot, but they weren't hearing any complaining from her. Although she was progressing, it was like juggling knives. You can only go so long before you get cut.

After getting hit three times consecutively, Link called for a break. Mari sat down on the grass with a heavy sigh. Link plunged his blade into the grass in front of him and set himself down easily, leaning back on his hands. She started unclasping the leather straps from her armor as it was getting hot and hard to breath. With it loosened, she took in large gulps of air to try and steady her heartbeat.

"That was pretty good," Link offered. It was sickening how unfazed Link looked after an entire morning of intense sword play. She decided no response was the best response.

"Link, I have something I need to take care of currently." Link waved him off.

"That's fine. Thank you for your help this morning." Link said as Orin began to wander off.

"It's still morning?" he chuckled as he waved back. Link was watching him walk away when Mari had finally finished evening out her breathing. She leaned forward and sat cross legged.

"Link," she said. He looked back at her with his eyebrows raised. "I…" Nabooru's words from earlier wormed their way into her thoughts right then.

She could just say it. Her heart fluttered uncomfortably at the thought of how easy it could be for the words to just come spilling out of her mouth. It was what came after that made her so uncertain. And it was a situation she wasn't ready to deal with.

All these emotions raced around her heart for merely a second. She took a deep breath.

"I want to know about what's happened to Hyrule." She said evenly. She let out a discreet breath.

"You really have no idea about any of it, do you?" Link asked as he laid his sword down next to him and mimicked Mari's sitting position. He interlaced his fingers and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Nothing really changed in the desert." She shrugged. "We were just without our leader. Only the higher-ups knew what was going on, and even then, their information was limited." Link nodded.

"Ganondorf came from the desert nearly eight years ago to swear fealty to the King of Hyrule." He started.

"That was the last thing any of us really heard before his disappearance." She affirmed.

"Well, as you probably have guessed, peace wasn't what he was after. He was looking for something that Hyrule has kept safe in the Sacred Realm. He came to Hyrule to obtain it."

"What was it?" She asked.

"The Triforce." He stated simply. Mari kept her features even though it was difficult. She'd just read a line of text in an old book with that name in it and now it was relevant. She felt her stomach bubbling with excitement.

"What is the Triforce?" she asked.

"It is the symbol of the Hyrule Royal Family. But it is also a powerful relic. It was created by the Goddesses and anyone who touches it will have their wish granted." Mari's eyes widened at this revelation.

"That's amazing." She said in awe.

"Yes, it is pretty interesting. The start of the Seven Year War began when Ganondorf went into the Sacred Realm to steal the Triforce." Mari exclaimed loudly.

"Ganondorf has the Triforce?" Link smiled at her exhilaration.

"Not exactly. When he attempted to take it, an old Sheikah legend came true. It states that when someone who has an unbalanced heart touches the Triforce, the three pieces which represent power, wisdom, and courage, will split and enter into those who most stand for each trait. Ganon was only able to obtain the Triforce piece of Power." Link finished. Mari frowned.

"That still isn't good. He still has it, doesn't he?" Link nodded. "Where are the other two pieces?" Link smiled at her question.

"The Triforce piece of Courage entered the Hero of Time who helped to defeat the King of Evil." He continued smiling almost smugly.

"I'm guessing that's you, then?" she asked with an indifferent tone. Link's smile dropped to a pout.

"What, you're not impressed?" She couldn't help but laugh at his change in attitude. She waved him off.

"So who has the last piece? Wisdom was it?" She continued, ignoring Link's hurt expression.

"The last piece belonged to the Princess, Zelda…" Something seemed to hit Link just then. He face contorted into an indiscernible expression. Then he stood up so quickly, Mari blinked and missed it. She was about to ask what was wrong when he bolted off towards the Ranch. Mari called after him, but he ignored her. She swore and pulled the leather armor over her head and sprinted after him.

0000

Link burst into the meeting room, which also happened to be Malon's bedroom, and spotted Impa.

"Impa," she seemed appalled by his outburst but remained quiet as an invitation to continue, "Do you know what happens to a piece of the Triforce when someone who has it dies?"

He was met with silence. Link noticed there was another in the room with them. It was a boy, a bit younger than him and dressed in Shiekan garb. Impa stood from her chair which was sat across from the Sheikah youth.

"Link," he almost shrunk back because of how tall and menacing he had forgotten that she was. "This is Aine." She gestured to the boy she'd been conversing with. That wasn't really what he was expecting. The boy stood and crossed the room to shake Link's hand. "I've been telling him all about you."

"It's great to finally meet you," Aine said amiably. Link decided he liked the kid.

"It's nice to meet you, too." He turned back to Impa. "Impa, do you-" she cut him off.

"I am presently looking into this matter as it had already crossed my mind before today." He seemed abashed at her commanding tones. Mari chose that moment to burst in.

"Link, what's the rush. Oh," she noticed Impa and Aine standing beside Link. "Pardon my intrusion."

"It is nothing to be sorry about." Impa gestured to Aine again. "This is Aine." She and Aine shook hands. She turned back to Link. "As I was saying, I've selected him from an elite group of our finest youths. He will be Princess Zelda's new caretaker." Link nodded in understanding, deciding to just allow Impa to speak. "As a last test of his skill, I've been sending him to the village for reconnaissance.

"He has reported that last night, there was a brawl between a large portion of the Moblins stationed there and they are disorganized." Link's face lit up.

"You mean…" Impa nodded.

"Yes. It is time to strike."

0000

Night was beginning to fall by the time they'd organized the troops and made their way to the stone steps that led up to the village. There was a great amount of both excitement and fear rippling through the groups of volunteers. They decided horses wouldn't be necessary for the battle so Epona and Mari's horse, Trysting, stayed behind in the care of Malon. She didn't seem to mind though.

Mari followed Link as he wound through the men giving words of encouragement and helping with some practicing techniques. Soon, they had met up with Impa and Orin, the two who had been doing a lot of the battle planning.

"Ah good, you're here Link. I need to speak with you." Link nodded and he followed Impa to a somewhat secluded spot where others wouldn't be overhearing anything. Mari and Orin had trailed not far behind. The four stood in a group at the outskirts of the would-be soldiers.

"There has been a small change in the plan." Impa began. "You will not be joining us tonight." Link exclaimed loudly.

"What do you mean?" he got over his initial shock and remembered they were away from the others because they didn't want to be heard.

"To the credit of Orin," the big man gave a grin through his beard, "We've decided now is the time to reclaim the Master Sword." Link 'oh'ed quietly.

"You want to use this siege as a distraction." Link had to spell it out for himself. Impa confirmed.

"Correct. I'm sure you'll agree that it the best strategy."

He had to owe it to the man to come up with the most interesting plans.

"Do you know how well-guarded the Temple of Time is? Should I consider bringing a small group with me?" Link questioned.

"It is up to you. If you think it is necessary." Impa said solemnly. Orin had something different to say.

"If you don't mind me saying, we are probably going to need everyone who came out here tonight." Link was quick to agree.

"I understand," he turned to Mari, "Marickiya and I can handle it."

"We've got this," she said with another one her thumb's up.

"Alright, we leave it to you," Impa said as she clasped him on the shoulder and made her way to begin organizing the troops for an advance. Orin bid them one more farewell before he too was off.

"I guess we make our way to the market." Link said as he started to hurriedly make his way in that direction. Mari was on his heels.

0000

Vaati sat alone on the shore's of Lake Hylia in a meditative position.

Ganondorf. The name swirled in his mind's eye for a moment.

'_He is the great threat to the land you must vanquish.'_

That one was easy to figure out. It was the second great 'threat' that eluded him thus far.

There was that one woman. He sensed a strange power from her. He knew she was keeping an eye on the Hero and his companion, and he was also sure that she was dogging him as well. He could always sense her presence nearby even when he could not see her. She disguised herself a little too well for it to be completely natural. He had decided to stay out of crowds for this reason. For now, he was camped out at the southern lake.

Link was the 'Hero' he'd not yet met. When Marickiya asked him if he knew the 'Hero of Time' he almost said yes, but he was sure it wasn't the same Link he knew. She had caught his eye more than the Hero. He could not place it, but he thought he recognized her from somewhere before. Other than the odd feeling and her connection to Link, she wasn't very remarkable.

'_Now, if you keep having thoughts like that, you won't make any friends,'_ a voice in his head said. He scoffed internally.

"No, I don't get that luxury." He said out loud with a sardonic tone. The voice didn't give a reply.

Just then, something caught his attention. He'd been meditating in the quietness when a mass of consciousnesses formulating in the north wedged into his senses. This was intriguing. He focused on it, though his magic could not determine exactly what it was from this distance.

He honed in enough to tell that there were in fact two large masses developing in the north. One was at the village he knew to be infested with a brainless mob of Moblins. He ventured a guess that the mass there was most likely the villagers attempting to take their home back. The second mass was at the Castle Market. He couldn't come up with any guesses as to what that could be.

He decided it wouldn't hurt to check it out. He had nothing better to do anyhow.

0000

"Well, you've got to say there was no way you didn't see this coming." Mari laughed nervously.

Link and Mari were back to back completely surrounded by a rather intimidating number of skeletal swordsmen. Link grit his teeth.

"Ganon sure was prepared." He eyed the plethora of enemies in front and behind him warily. They seemed to be guffawing at their prey but not moving in on them just yet, like they were sizing up a meal. Link had an idea. He slowly put his shield away.

"What are you doing?" Mari asked in a concerned tone. Link whispers through his teeth his instructions.

"I'm going to clear a path and we're going to make a break for the temple." He said slowly so she wouldn't miss a word.

"Great. How are you going to do that?" She asked in the same hushed tone he'd used.

"Just wait. Let them in a little closer."

As if accepting his invitation, the Stalfos began to close in on the duo seeing as they weren't going to make the first move. They were a few yards away when Link made his move. He whipped around and grabbed Mari.

"What the-" she exclaimed in surprise as he brought her close to his chest where he held something in his hands. Then that thing began to glow. Mari was a little more than shocked to see a fire growing in Link's palm and expanding outward. At first she feared the flames were going to envelope her too, but she guessed by Link grabbing her like he did, he was trying to prevent that from happening. The flames grew in intensity as it fanned out and knocked all of the surrounding enemies off their feet in surprise. Many of the closer ones were crying out in pain as the fire burned away bits of their bone to dust.

Just as quickly as it had appeared, the blaze was gone, leaving a crater of charred skeletal remains. They were very quickly being replaced by more Stalfos that weren't in the line of fire, though.

"Go!" Link had yelled pulling Marickiya out of her reverie. She blinked and got up quickly to follow after Link who had already sprinted off towards the Temple entrance. The other Stalfos who hadn't seen what was happening within the dome of fire were quick to notice the two enemies running quickly towards the thing they needed to keep them away from. Gathering their wits, they started to regroup and cut off Link's path to the doors. He wasn't about to have that though. Without missing a beat, Link had leapt into the air and plunged his small blade into the crevice beneath one skeleton's skull and separated it from the thing's torso, and then kept going.

Mari was having a hard time keeping up as she had to side step quite a few of the monsters that were attempting to separate her from Link. He's was already so far ahead and he didn't notice she'd fallen behind. The Stalfos were closing in on her fast…

'Wham!'

She felt the thinness of a blade connect with her shoulder and knock her to the ground.

'_Always the back!'_ she grit inside her head. Greatly annoyed, she looked up to see no sign of her green clad hero nearby. They were divided among the throng of grinding bones and armor.

She heard a ghastly chuckle from behind her and only had time to turn over from her position on the ground to see a Stalfos looming over her with its jagged sword raised. In a small panic, she raised her blade weakly over head to try and parry what was coming. She gave a small squeak of fear.

There was a clash of metal that badly startled her.

It took her a second to realize she was still alive and that she had been protected. She looked around but couldn't spot Link anywhere near. The bewildered Stalfos that had tried to attack before had regained its composure and went in for another blow. Mari was looking up at it when a deep violet blur encompassed her visage.

"Get up!" The shout came from the blur, which then vanished again instantly. She blinked in surprise but wasn't about to squander a second opportunity. She quickly picked herself up and began fighting her way to the Temple entrance.

It wasn't long before she could see Link stand at the stone steps, fighting off his own monsters. He spotted her.

"Hurry," he gestured after throwing a Stalfos off of him, making it trip down a few steps and exploding into a hundred or so bone fragments. As Mari punched, kicked, and used her sword to ward off most of the adversaries in her way, Link noticed something flash around her a few times. There was no way to tell what it was; just a blur and then a skeleton she wasn't even facing would drop. He found that very odd. Before he could speculate too much on it, Mari had made it into the safety of the Temple doors. They hurried inside and started to close the portal behind them.

"They're trying to make their way inside!" Mari shouted tensely. Before the entrance was closed, they could see a massing of the Stalfos hurrying up the steps after them. The two pulled the double doors closed. It didn't take long for the Stalfos to start pulling at their side. Link and Mari tried to hold them.

"We can't hold this forever," Mari said in a strained voice. Link looked back frantically.

"Can you hold it for just a few seconds?" he asked of her. She gave him a pained look, but nodded all the same. He let her grab hold of his side's handle and backed away. Before running off, he shoved his short-sword through the two handles.

"Hold it for just a bit longer." He sprinted towards the other end of the room where an altar and another set of doors resided.

Mari was pulling with all she had, but the skeletons were pulling harder and inch by inch, a crack was growing wider. The strain on the small sword helping her to bar the way was evident. Then the slit became wide enough for a sword to slip through and that's just what happened. It couldn't be wielded properly from the angle it was held, but a blade's a blade and it made contact with her arm slicing down the side of it. Mari gritted her teeth anxiously from the pain.

"Hurry, Link," she said

"Mari, jump out of the way and let the doors open." He told her while he climbed up onto the altar. Before she can question it, she felt a great tug pull the handles from her grasp and the sword began to splinter. She, without a second glance, dove headfirst to the side and rolled away from the influx of skeleton monsters. Then, all at once, they all stopped to stare in fright at the Hero of Time. He held the Master Sword aloft.

"Guess who's back?" he taunted with a maniacal looking grin. In the heat of the moment, he decided to coat his sword in Din's Fire. There was shriek from somewhere in the throng which caused many of them to panic and trip over themselves in an attempt to flee. Soon the Temple was empty again.

Once they had all fled, Mari got up from her sitting position next to the open doorway.

"Little melodramatic, don't you think?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Link quipped back and he hurried over to his companion. He had noticed a great deal of blood escaping from the wound on her arm. "Sorry I wasn't quick enough," he said with a sad tone. Mari shrugged it off.

"It just stings a lot." She said trying to mop up the continued flow of blood. Something she saw a ways past Link made her breath catch in her throat.

"What is it?" He said, his grip tightening on the hilt of the Master Sword. He watched her gaze trail behind him and he turned to face whatever had startled her.

An elder man in sweeping copper robes was walking towards them at a determined pace.

"Rauru," Link sheathed his sword. Link had never seen the guy smile so he truly didn't expect it when he was greeted with one through his bushy white beard.

"It is always a pleasure, Hero of Time," Rauru stated simply. He kept his sight fixated firmly on Mari as he approached however. Link stepped back as the Sage got close enough to touch. He reached up to the arm Mari was nursing.  
>Mari was perplexed by this new development. Some guy Link apparently knew was walking right up to her and… she didn't really know what he was doing. She remained quiet however while he did it. She took in the old man's tired looking features. An idle thought wondering just how old the man was, was interrupted by a brilliant glow coming from where he held his hand. Surprised, she looked down to see the slice she'd received not moments earlier was now scarring over at a rapid pace. The bleeding had stopped. He didn't stop there though. The scar tissue was even more quickly replaced by new skin and soon, you couldn't even tell there had been a gash there at all.<p>

She looked up breathless. Between Vaati, Link's pyrotechnics outside, and this, she started to feel like maybe everyone outside of the desert was able to use some form of magic.

"Thank you," was all she could manage as she ran her fingers over the newly formed skin in amazement. Link cleared his throat.

"Rauru, this is Marickiya. She and I have been traveling together for a while." Rauru gave solitary nod.

"Where are you from?" He asked seemingly innocently. Mari was only slightly taken aback by his abrupt question.

"The Desert." She said.

"This must be your first time visiting Hyrule." He said with a small grin that Mari could only see because his mustache twitched a little whenever he did it.

"Yes." How on earth did he know that? Her confusion must have shown on her face for the elder man laughed lightly.

"Link forgot to mention that I am the Sage of Light. I see many things that happen in Hyrule. Many faces…" he trailed off.

"Speaking of which, Rauru, I've never seen you outside of the Sacred Realm before."

"I am projecting myself here to speak with you."

"Of course," Link said quietly, though he grinned to himself.

"It is good that you have retrieved the Master Sword from here, Link. It is a great move against the enemy. One he will not take lightly." Link nodded. "You should get back to where you will be staying quickly."

"Right," Link remembered his conversation with Impa earlier. "I spoke with Impa about something earlier and she didn't have an answer for me. Maybe you might." Rauru had a pensive look about him.

"She and I are both fervently searching for the new holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. You need not concern yourself with that matter just yet. Be wary of your surroundings," And with that, there was a flash of light and Rauru had vanished. Link turned to Mari who shrugged.

"He's right about us needing to get back quickly." Link said as he made his way outside again. There were remnants of a battle, but not a single Stalfos remained to take on the Hero of Time.

"I wonder how the villagers are doing." Mari said as they quickened their pace out of the Temple's courtyard. Link stopped and looked up as something had splashed onto his face.

"I don't know. But I hope they wrap it up before this hits." He gestured at the darkened sky where they could see, in the distance, a few faint flashes of lightning. Mari's eyes lit up.

"We get to walk home in the rain?"

0000

Well, that had certainly been entertaining. He hadn't had the chance to really perform any of his offensive spells since arriving in Hyrule. He'd been sticking to all stealth related magic to keep a low profile. But it sure did feel great to let off a little steam. Those skeletal beings didn't stand a chance. Vaati chuckled to himself.

He had warped back to his campsite after watching the horde of monsters flee from the temple. Whatever those two had done to frighten them had worked. He decided to call it a night. He was walking back to his hidden belongings when a voice spoke from behind him.

"Just here to 'observe', eh?" He whipped around.

Standing a small distance away was Lana. She had a steely look to her, telling him she wasn't there just to chat. He straightened up and faced her.

"What are you talking about?" he said in a feathery tone and shrugged. Playing dumb wasn't going to get past her though. She'd obviously been sent after him. She looked like she'd taken a beating only moments prior to this meeting. She held an unamused expression and readied something in her hands.

"I do not want to fight you," Vaati said, dropping his nonchalant front and adopting a defensive position. He really didn't want to fight her, as much fun as he had firing off magic earlier. He didn't know what she was capable of besides stalking and melding with shadows. The magic she had twisting in her cupped hand was already looking pretty threatening. She smirked at him eyeing her spell worriedly.

"I wanted to thank you for stopping him that night we first met." The spell grew and began flashing different colors. Her grin turned to a snarl. "I'm sorry to say I won't be returning the favor."

The ball of pure energy came at him quickly. So quickly he almost didn't have time to react. He's leg muscles tensed as the readied to leap out of its path. It was only then that he noticed, in the light of the oncoming magic, Lana's stretched out shadow that connected with his and snaked up his legs, keeping him firmly in place. He had completely underestimated the situation and there was no time to regret it. In his last panicked seconds, he subconsciously began to warp away from the spot. But he couldn't get out in time. The magic hit. Hard.

Lana watched as the sorcerer try and escape using magic. Just before successfully warping away, she felt her attack collide with his torso. She winced as he disappeared from her view entirely. Everything returned to the semi-quiet of the lake's waves washing up onto the shore.

"Too bad you won't be surviving that," she said out loud wistfully. Her disappointed gaze fell onto his pile of belongings. "Huh. You could have been an amusing toy," she said and with a snap of her finger, the pile of possessions was set ablaze.


	8. Chapter 8

Visitation Hours

In the darkness of Kakariko Village stumbled a slumped figure; a figure that seemed to be made of the deep billowing inkiness from the night that shrouded the quiet village. A shadowy cloak swirled alluringly around their form as they trudged forward blindly. The light of a lamp from a nearby house revealed the outline of a man as he entered its glow.

Vaati was having a hard time moving on his own. He constantly had a hand clutched to his chest and as he attempted another step forward, his other arm shot out to grab the support of the house wall that the light came from. He winced from severe pain.

He needed to find them, the only ones who could help him. He felt exceptionally foolish for falling into such a situation where he desperately needed the help of another. He dropped his guard and paid for it. That was very unlike him to completely forget about the defenses he'd so meticulously been building ever since his arrival. What changed? He ridiculed his inner musings for the moment. He needed to focus on finding her.

He'd long stopped relying on his sight on his trek through the small village. The night was too dark to tell anything by and he could smell rain in the atmosphere. Using a form of detection magic, he fanned his consciousness outwards. It was much more reliable than eyesight alone. He could see the entire layout of the village and its inhabitants inside his mind, all outlined in white. He swept the whole village like this and cursed aloud, causing him to hiss in pain once again.

They weren't here. Where were they? His thoughts became frantic as he started to feel hazy. Was he blacking out from the pain already? He almost laughed at the sheer stupidity that brought him to this point, but kept it down. Had he been mistaken in thinking they lived here?

The first raindrop landed directly atop his head, sending him further into misery. This wasn't turning out to be one of his better days. Another wave of pain washed over him, disorienting him. He momentarily forgot his objective. What was he doing again? He was searching, he reminded himself. For what? A bed. Boy, did that sound nice right then. No! What was it he needed?

Help. He needed help. His pride all but drowned out in his current state of being, he prepared one more spell. It was all he was going to have energy for. If they lived here like he thought, but were not there presently, traces of their essence would be.

He concentrated on his hand that held him up on the wall. The fingers flexed and the knuckles turned white, but this time not from pain. The white of his knuckles appeared to be peeling away from his hand in a misty substance. The whiteness was glowing and branching away from his fingers, arching in a web across the wall. The strands welded into one single thread that followed the wall down to the ground where it snaked through the blades of grass. He watched it slither around the building and out of sight. As the white line was beginning to fade, something new took its place. Ghostly footprints slowly marched around the building.

He slumped after them, glad it was too late in the night for anyone to come across him like this. Slowly, he ambled after the marks on the ground that led him to where he needed to go. He hoped to the gods that it wasn't far. Luckily for him, it was mostly a straight-shot. About halfway down the path he was led, he was starting to really feel the sway of unconsciousness fall on him. His vision was becoming blurry around the edges and only the pure white foot prints could be seen clearly. On top of that, the rain had started to come down by the bucket-full.

He was nearing the end of the line he followed. As he came upon the last set of prints, it was revealed that that was not the end. It wove around to the left and sloped upward.

'_Stairs,'_ Vaati thought bitterly. It was at that point that he realized he wasn't going to make it up to where the footprints were telling him to go. He couldn't even drag himself up the first few steps because of the added weight to his cloak that the rain had caused.

He barely had any feeling left, but he knew he had fallen. He lay there, on the wet steps, thinking sorrowfully to himself. He lived his whole life in fear of rain, and now, it was going to be the end of him…

0000

Link skulked as the rain matted his hair in front of his eyes. About halfway back to the village, it started to really come down. By the time they'd reached the stairs leading up to the village, his clothes were completely soaked through. He'd long since given up trying to shield his face from the torrent. It was utterly useless.

Marickiya on the other hand, was having a blast. She could not keep from smiling as the droplets came down on her. It was quite humorous actually.

"I'm guessing you've never really had much experience with this phenomenal weather," Link only wished his clothes were as dry as the tone of voice he'd just used. Mari giggled at his sarcastic remark.

"Not much, no." She said happily. She raked her fingers through her wet hair to get it out of her face. "It's just so refreshing. It never rained like this in the desert." She held her arms out to signify the onslaught. Then she stopped walking and reached up as if trying to touch the clouds. Her face fell as it was tilted upwards. She hummed quietly.

"What is it?" Link asked, halting a few paces ahead of her. She brought her arms back to her sides but continued to look skyward.

"I just… sometimes wonder why I didn't leave sooner."

Link was drinking in her expression with fascination. "Was it bad?" Her eyes trailed towards the ground and nodded once. She opened her mouth, about to say more, but something grabbed her attention and her voice was lost. Link eyed her interestedly. Something was funny about the face she was making and he followed her gaze.

"What is that?" Link said aloud. Marickiya sprinted off towards the thing in question before he could reach out and stop her. He hurried after her to the bottom of the stairs leading up to their house. The closer he got, he realized the heap on the ground at the foot of the steps was a person. Marickiya had knelt down beside where he guessed their face was and was checking them over. She felt their forehead and then their neck.

"He's alive," she mumbled and then brushed aside the hair covering the man's face. She gasped. "It's Vaati." She looked up with her brows furrowed. "Link we have to get him inside."

"What? No," Link stammered at first. Mari looked up at him incredulously.

"What do you mean, 'no'? We can't leave him out here like this." She glared at him.

"You barely know him," he started to say but was realizing quickly he'd said the wrong thing.

"You barely knew me when you let me in." She stated defiantly. She glowered at him waiting for him to give it up. He knew he'd been beaten. He frowned on his way over to Vaati's other arm. The both of them lifted him up on either side and tried making their way up the stairs, but it was an awkward climb.

"Why's he so heavy?" Link grunted. Mari looked behind them and saw Vaati's drenched cloak dragging behind.

"I think his cloak is weighing him down. Here, I'll unclasp it," she said and placed her hand on Vaati's chest in search of the fastener. She gasped when he winced and groaned rather loudly. She felt his hand on her shoulder clench.

"What did you do?" Link asked in alarm. Mari didn't say anything, just located the button on his cloak and let it fall.

"Oh dear," she faltered. Blood coated the hand she had touched him with. The sorcerer had fallen limp once more. "He's hurt pretty badly." Link noted the blood on her hands and nodded gruffly. Without anymore words, they climbed the steps and headed through their front door. They closed it behind them and shut off the sounds of pelting water droplets.

"I can hold him for a second while you get some lights on." He said evenly, though she knew it was a strain holding the unconscious man.

He felt her move away and there was an immediate crash.

"Marickiya," Link asked of the darkness. It was quiet save for a few shuffling and then a light illuminated the loft.

"Aw man. They trashed the place."

A few broken pieces of furniture were littered about and the whole place seemed to have been turned upside down. Mari cleared a path towards Link's bed against the far wall. It had been moved and was at an awkward angle making it harder to lay the mage correctly on the bed. With him no longer held between the two of them, and no cloak to cover it, his wound was open for all to see.

It was in the shape of a circle. The center of it was caked in coagulated blood, while the outer part of it was bruised and charred.

"How do we go about cleaning it?" Mari asked with uncertainty. Link, though unhappy about their uninvited guest, wasn't about let him bleed to death. On his bed, no less. He wordlessly moved over to his opened chest. Everything was scattered about inside of it. He hoped what he was looking for wasn't broken. After a few more seconds of scouring, he pulled forth a cloth and bottle of red liquid. He walked over and handed it to her as she had pulled a stool next the bed. She bit her lip.

"What?" He was about to ask if she didn't want to do it. She looked disconcerted.

"I don't want to make it worse."

"It isn't life threatening," he mused lightly, taking another look at the wound. Mari just held the two items he'd given her and looked up at him, her eyes pleading with him to help her. His shoulders sagged in defeat and he heaved a sigh.

"Let's get his tunic off…" He grasped the man's shoulder to pull him up while Mari worked the tunic over his wound and off of him. "I'll see if I can't find him something else to wear," he said as she tossed the ruined purple tunic aside. Link laid him back down and pointed at the cloth and bottle he had laid next to her.

"You can use the entire thing if you need to. Just pour it on the cloth and dab it." She nodded and tentatively set to work.

The first few daubs were difficult. Vaati hissed in pain when she tried wiping the blood around the wound. There must have been some sort of soothing agent in the ointment, for after a while, Vaati was peaceful again. Once she got a rhythm going and didn't need to concentrate on not hurting Vaati any more, she was able to relax a bit. Link was bustling quietly around the room. Her mind wandered.

Her thoughts fell onto what she was about to say to Link before they discovered Vaati on their doorstep. He had asked if her life at the Fortress was bad. She'd never really had the time, nor the desire, to dwell on her former life. When Link first questioned her about how she ended up in Kakariko with the man Jerais, she had told him she'd been banished.

In reality, she had barely escaped with her life; her only help was her best friend Naly and Jerais. The memories flooded back and her hands trembled. She shook so much her fingers lost their grip on the cloth she was using to clean Vaati's wound and it slunk down to the floor at her feet. She gave a small shuddering sigh.

"Here," came Link's voice from next to her. She looked up to see him handing over a folded black tunic. She took it and let it unfold to get a look at it.

"You wore this to the ball." she stated. Link shrugged.

"It's not my style." he waved like he was brushing away the subject. Mari smiled warmly at him even though his back was turned.

In hindsight, she was relieved she didn't relive every grueling detail of what happened. She pushed the horrific scenes from her head and bent down to retrieve her dropped rag. Looking over her progress on Vaati's wounded chest, she decided she no longer needed the bloodied cloth. She had only used half of the contents of the bottle, too. Pleased with her work, she folded the rag and placed it on top of the corked bottle. She looked up and watched Link moving objects about the room. Anything that was utterly destroyed he placed in a growing pile next to the front door. He put away the small salvageable items in their rightful place and nudged furniture into their original positions. By the time the thought to get up and help a bit crossed her mind, he had sat down in a bar-like stool at the tall table placed in the center of the room, clearly finished with his own work. It was well into the night at that point and she knew he must feel pretty tired. If Vaati didn't awaken soon, she would suggest he sleep up in her loft. For the moment though, still lost in her own musings, she sat in silence and watched Vaati's slow breathing.

How long had he been passed out in the rain for, she wondered. And how had he sustained such an injury? It had to have been an attack of some sort, the wound being squarely in the center of his chest like that.

Something that she hadn't paid any attention to earlier in the night suddenly screamed to be remembered. She'd been rescued by someone at the Temple of Time's courtyard and it wasn't Link. Her gaze lingered on the mage under her care. So many questions were whizzing around in quick succession, question she'd have to wait for Vaati to awaken before there were to be answered. The man was such an enigma. In their first meeting he said he was a traveler, not from this country. Like her, he seemed to have just appeared in Hyrule one day, to be roped in with her people's battle against a powerful foe; neither truly having a reason to fight, but still apart of the army nonetheless.

She was under the impression that he had come to their house for help. Did he have no where else to go? He was a drifter after all. But then, in a way so was she. She was lucky though, that Link had been kind enough to offer his home to her. Now that she was so involved in helping Link in the fight against Ganondorf, she was going to stick with him. But what about after? Given that they are triumphant in the battle, where would she turn? She turned tired eyes up to her brother, though he knew nothing of their relation. She quietly stood and moved her stool to the table, across from the Hylian. He watched her as she moved.

"Link?" Mari said. He remained silent but continued to gaze intently to show she had his attention. "This is my home now right?" He was almost caught off guard by the trepidation behind her words.

He hadn't given it any thought. He was so used to her being around, it hadn't crossed his mind that she'd probably leave soon to live on her own. Now that it was truly brought to his attention, it didn't take him long to come up with an answer.

"If you want it to be." She smiled warmly at him.

0000

It had been quite a long time since Vaati had fallen unconscious involuntarily. Equally, it had been a while since he'd actually slept. The mixture of the two had him pretty groggy as he began to come to. Slowly he gathered his wild thoughts into order, to remember what he was doing…

He had been on the move, camping wherever he could, trying not to stay in one place too long. He had been avoiding someone, and was having a difficult time remembering exactly who at that moment. Then he remembered the pain. He'd been injured very recently. Why was that?

It all started to flood back into him. Lana had found him, had attacked on Ganon's orders, and he barely escaped. But then it became blurred once more. He couldn't think of what happened in-between his escape and falling unconscious.

His heart fluttered as the realization that he had no idea where he was set in. He heard voices mumbling very near him but could barely comprehend them through his anxiety.

It was then that a sharp pain, much like an electric shock, danced across his torso, startling him. He knew it to be his own magic a second after it happened, but he still sucked in a surprised breath.

Awareness returned to him in an instant. He knew the noise he'd made wouldn't go unnoticed by those inhabiting the room with him. He heard movement, someone was approaching him. They stopped and hovered beside him. He covertly opened his eye ever so slenderly but could only make out a shadow.

"What's this?" One of the voices he heard from before came from the shadow above him. Through his slit eyelid, he saw what could only be their hand moving towards his face. He briefly felt fingers touching the matted hair that hung over the right side of his face before he reacted.

His eye was open all the way and in an instant, had snatched the arm above his head. He grasped it tightly. They stared at one another for a few seconds.

"I see you're awake."

He blinked a few times as understanding finally dawned on him. He absentmindedly released his grasp.

"Marickiya." He said with a note of bewilderment behind his tone. She took her arm back gingerly.

"You almost sound surprised to see me." Marickiya massaged her wrist but held eye-contact. "For someone who was passed out on our doorstep." She gave him an expectant look.

Vaati sat up and leaned against the pillows. When he didn't respond, Marickiya went on. "What happened to you?" She pulled up her stool closer to him while he thought on his reply.

"I... don't rememeber." he trailed. He kneaded his forehead with the heal of his hand. He wasn't looking, but Mari's expression softened,

"What do you remember?" she asked soothingly. Link crossed his arms behind her. Vaati's hesitation was miniscule, he decided on the truth.

"I was attacked." He placed a hand to his chest where the skin had reformed and a circular scar was beginning to take form.

"We first found you at the bottom of the stairs. When we tried to help you up is when we noticed your wound. I cleaned it up the best I could. It seems to have worked rather well. Oh," here she pulled out the extra tunic Link had offered to her earlier, "This is yours now. Your other one was destroyed." Vaati took the black fabric when Link piped up from behind Mari.

"That potion I gave Mari to use doesn't work that quickly." He didn't move from his spot, just continued to cross his arms and stare indeterminately towards the man in his bed. Marickiya gave him a quizzical look, but it was Vaati who spoke next.

"You're right. My magic heals my injuries more quickly than any ointment or salve."He began testing out the newly formed tissue, twisting his torso left and right.

"Does it happen automatically?" Mari seemed more attentive.

"Only when I'm conscious." He smirked inwardly at her awed expression. Link, however, was not so easily impressed.

"That pretty useless. If you fall unconscious before your magic can heal a fatal wound, then you'd be finished." Though Marickiya gave Link another look, this time a scathing one for being so critical, she couldn't help but think he had a point. Vaati no longer looked smug.

"I do not usually let myself acquire such wounds." Link was far from sharing sympathies with the sorcerer but he uncrossed his arms and decided to drop the critical questions.

"Who attacked you?" Link asked of Vaati, though his words didn't hold the warmth that Mari's did.

"The same woman who has been following you. Her name is Lana."

"A woman did that to you?" asked Mari with a hint of skepticism.

"You can see why I underestimated the situation." She gave him a half smile. "She uses some pretty violent magic, though I'm sure it isn't her own. I barely escaped. I cannot remember too well what happened in between being hit and waking up here."

"Were you attacked for helping us?" Vaati was a bit startled by the quick succession of her questions. By the way she sounded at the last one, she had been itching to ask it for a while.

"Yes," he conceded. "She saw me at the temple." Mari 'hah'-ed in triumph. Link looked interested now.

"You were at the Temple of Time?" Vaati nodded.

"I sensed something was happening. Both there and at this village. I noticed Lana at the temple followed by a massive horde of monsters. Then the two of you showed up."

"But what did you do that caused her to attack?" Link asked. Mari turned to him sheepishly.

"Do you remember when we got separated?" Link nodded slowly. "I went down from a sword blow from behind," she pulled down her dry shirt she had changed into earlier over her shoulder. A darkly lined bruise had appeared there.

"I never realized you got hurt." He got up to get a better look at her injury.

"It wasn't bad. I've had worse." It would have been worse if it weren't for the thick leather the Sheikah woman had used to modify the back of her Kokiri tunic. Link decided not to comment on what else was 'worse.' "When I went down, I could do nothing to defend myself from another attack. Vaati saved my life." She turned back to the mage. "Thank you."

The man seemed to be lost for words. He simply nodded his reply to her thanks.

Mari stood up suddenly.

"I forgot. I left your cloak out in the rain." Then she promptly strode over to the door. She had her hand on the doorknob but before she opened it she turned. "Link will you join me outside?"

Link and Vaati looked to each other briefly for a second.

"Sure," he said and got up to follow her. She opened the door and he was just behind her. It had stopped raining but the air was still thick with its scent. He shut the door and looked at the girl expectantly.

"I think we should let him stay. You know, if he doesn't have a place already." she said in one breath. Link actually took a step back.

"What?" he said loudly and she held up her hands to shush him.

"No, listen. He's done nothing but help us and now he's being attacked for doing that. We can't just leave him alone." she said imploringly.

"We sure can." Link said defiantly. Mari's brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't trust him," Link responded after a pause. Mari crossed her arms and leaned back.

"Why not?" She said. Link let out a huff.

"I'm not sure. I feel like he's hiding something." he said hurriedly.

"So, what? I wasn't hiding anything when you invited me to stay here?" she asked pointedly. He sputtered.

"Well… You wouldn't hide anything." It was almost sad to her how much it showed on his face that he wanted believe his own words.

"Guess again, 'Hero'," she used his nickname that Sally used so much, but it wasn't nearly as endearing. "You know next to nothing about me or what happened to me at the Gerudo's Fortress. I could have been an assassin."

"You're not an assassin are you?" he mumbled under his breath. She rolled her eyes. "How can you trust him so easily?" he said exasperatedly, trying hard to keep the volume of his voice in check.

"Oh I don't know, he's only warned us about the enemies plans and saved my life." Her foot began to tap.

"Look," he was getting frustrated that she wouldn't see it from his point, "I can't explain it. I just don't trust him."

"All he's ever done is help us." He shifted on the spot uncomfortably. He didn't have anything to say in response so she just plowed on. "When you took me in, you had more than just a feeling to distrust me. The leader of my race is your sworn enemy."

He was very much tired of the conversation. Marickiya could tell. She decided now was the time for her ace. She unfurled her fists and uncrossed her arms.

"You said this is my home now, right?" He wouldn't reply. "I want to offer our home to a friend in need." Link looked up at her. She was giving him a meaningful look. He sighed.

"Fine." Mari leapt into the air with a squeak. Then she bolted towards the stairs to grab Vaati's drenched cloak and rushed towards the door. Link put his hand over hers to halt her.

"I'm keeping an eye on him though." Mari nodded to him rather impatiently.

Vaati was standing beside their center table with the dark tunic Link had given him adorned. Link was happy to see his bed free again and wanted nothing more than to crawl under his covers and sleep. Marickiya opened her mouth to speak.

"I must thank you for treating my wounds. May I ask the two of you a few questions?" Link and Mari looked between each other.

"I suppose." Mari said quietly. She walked to their table and sat down. Vaati joined her and folded his hands on the counter top.

Vaati had already guessed the both of them were discussing allowing him to stay. He hadn't intended to be rude by cutting across when Mari was about to speak, but he wanted to get on with the questioning and be on his way. He was never supposed to meddle too much and he'd already saved this girl's life. Although, it wasn't as if he truly followed his orders to a 'T'...

"I wondered if you could tell me everything you know about Ganondorf." The two exchanged another brief glance.

"Well," Mari decided she'd go first, "All that I really know about him is that he was a bit of a tyrannical leader of the Gerudo in the desert to the west." She put it simply.

"You're a Gerudo." Vaati stated in matter-of-fact way. Mari made a wry expression.

"You have a good memory," she said through a grimace. Vaati blinked, unsure if he had offended her or not. "Link will know more about the man than me, though." She gestured to her companion. Link's arms were suddenly crossed again.

"Why do you want to know?" Mari, at that point, was exhausted by Link's attitude towards the mage. Vaati was quiet for a moment.

"I've been sent here to bring an end to threats against Hyrule's prosperity." He stated regally. Link made an impatient noise.

"Pretty words. Where have you been in the last seven years?"

"Seven years?" Vaati was a bit taken aback. Link raised his eyebrows.

"He's a traveler." Mari piped up, and they both turn to her. "He told me when we first met. He's never been to Hyrule before, like me."

Link was now fully aware that he had in his company two people who had no clue of Ganondorf's tyranny. He almost laughed to himself.

Link began his explanation with what started seven years ago, when Ganondorf was to have a meeting with the King of Hyrule, swearing fealty to him. How that went all wrong and the thief from the west entered the Sacred Realm and took the Triforce for himself. Then he reigned for seven years until the Hero of Time arose and defeated him.

"Where is the Hero of Time now?" Vaati interrupted. Link fumbled with his words for a moment, then leaned back even farther in his chair. Marickiya noticed the bit of his knuckles she could see beneath his bracers had turned white. She got the feeling he wasn't too keen to reveal the information. He took in a breath to speak. Vaati let out a small noise in understanding.

"I realize, now, how silly that question must seem to you." He began. Link pursed his lips, something he'd seen Impa do during their conversations together. "I believe I am right in my guess, given your reaction just now, your involvement in the fight against Ganon, and the fact that you possess quite a powerful sword," he gestured at the Master Sword, "That _you_ are the Hero of Time." Link's facial features remained tight and unresponsive to a single word coming from Vaati. In the end, he merely gave a half of a nod in affirmation. "I am sorry." The mage said, completely catching the hero off guard. "It must have been difficult growing up under his rule." And before Link could comprehend how much more the conversation could become convoluted, he said

"I didn't."Mentally slapping himself as Mari and Vaati both gave him extra confused arched eyebrows, he explained his statement more elaborately. He began his story in the Kokiri Forest, the place he grew up. Mari's expression alit with understanding. The mage listened intently with an almost passive air, but when the story arrived at Link pulling the Master Sword causing him to become sealed within the Sacred Realm, his demeanor changed.

"Are you saying that you're consciousness is that of a ten year old?" Link blinked.

"No, no. After defeating Ganon, I returned the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time and was sent back to my original time..." he trailed lamely. He really didn't know how to explain more simply than that. Vaati seemed to be lost in thought however, his fingers brushing his pale chin.

"'Hero of Time.' A more fitting title than I previously realized."

_'There are other means to travel through time. Does this surprise you, young sorcerer?' _that melodious voice fluttered in between his ears. His hand moved towards his lips and he grinned behind his fingers.

"So when you were sent back to live out your lost childhood..." Mari said mostly to herself. Unlike Vaati who completely grasped the concept, was still piecing together the story.

"I didn't stay in Hyrule. The P-princess-" he cleared his throat at his stutter, "She told me it would be better to leave and return once the final battle was over." It was easy to tell that this memory haunted Link like nothing else. How he couldn't be there for all of Hyrule's people when they were unknowingly depending on him.

"Ganondorf may be powerful," Mari said after a long pause, "But this time he's got us to deal with." Link looked up.

"Us?" Her face turned a bit pink.

"You, me, and Vaati. You don't have to do it on your own this time." Link almost laughed.

"What do you say, Vaati?" She held out a hand to him. Vaati started at the suddenness of her offer, even though he had been expecting it. What could he say now that didn't make him look suspicious?

"I, uh..." he eyed the both of them warily.

_'Take the offer.'_ the voice demanded with such force, he didn't give another second of hesitation. He took her hand.

"I want to thank you both for aiding me. I'd also like to do all I can to help take down Ganondorf." A huge grin split across Mari's face and she thrust her free fist into the air.

"Alright! Welcome to the team." She bounded over to Link and began talking animatedly, though Vaati wasn't paying attention to a single word. He let out a shaky breath.

Normally, he wouldn't be allowed to have too much contact with people. Let alone make friends. He asked of the voice their motives behind pushing him towards these two.

_'All will become clear with Time.'_

He scoffed at the vague reply, then made a slight at their omnipotence. If he was sent here on their orders, why could he not know the full extent of their plan to save the land. He received no response, which irritated him.

"What's wrong, Vaati?" He looked up as Mari questioned him. Had he been making an annoyed face? He groaned internally.

"There is nothing wrong." He stood up and faced the both of them, giving a small courteous bow. "You have my gratitude, once again, for allowing me a place here. For tonight however, I must see to a few things."

"Like what?" she looked eager, like she would like nothing more than to accompany him.

"Nothing I can't handle on my own." When his statement didn't seem to satisfy her, he continued. "I want to retrieve my belongings I left at my previous camp." She still didn't seem content with his answer.

"Is it far? What about Lana?" He grinned a happy grin at her worry.

"I believe she presumes me to be dead. I won't be caught unaware a second time. I will return in the morning." and with that, his body turned to a black shadow, and a small gust blew it away in wisps, leaving a few of their household belongings rustling in its wake. Link scowled.

"Oh, I'm going to hate that." Marickiya giggled.


	9. Chapter 9

Telling Tales

"The legend of the Triforce," Marickiya whispered quietly to herself. She pulled the first page that which held the first words she'd translated from the book. She sat at her upstairs loft's study table, a mid-sized stack of new blank parchment, her translation page, and her leather bound, title-less book in front of her. She hadn't had the chance to look over her book for several weeks and was eager to finally sit down and take a peek. She'd always been a bit of a literature lover and this particular book was practically calling out to her. Every time she thought back on when she'd received the translation notes from the elder Sheikah woman, she shook her head with wonder. How could she have possible known Marickiya would be needing these notes? Maybe she sensed Mari's deep interest in books and lore; she could think of nothing that was said to tip her off to that though.

The legend of the Triforce. The words rolled around in her head again. A lot of things had gotten in the way of her getting to sit down with this fascinating book. Ever since Link had made mention of the relic, she became ever more eager to find out what resided within its pages. But then with training and taking back Kakariko from the moblin horde that had infiltrated the village, she had very little time to even pick it up. Today, she had the house to herself for a bit while Link was out doing errands.

She opened the tome and turned a few pages to get to the Triforce title page and took in its glyphs. It was all very well, she checked over her notes and saw that everything matched. Something else was begging to be paid attention to, though. She was no longer at the beginning of the book. Idly wondering why she'd turned so many pages from the start, she began to go back to the beginning. Near the cover was what looked similar to a contents page. She pulled her notes closer then dipped her pen in ink.

Very shortly, she had written out what she was then sure was a list of chapters:

"One, The creation of Hyrule." She incited them quietly to herself. "Two, The Ascension. Three, The Triforce. Four, The Split. Five, The Rejoining. Six, The Phoenix. Seven, The Merge. Eight, The Great Deities Nine, Parting of the Races." She dropped her quill in the ink bottle and held the notes in both hands to reread what she had written. She nodded, satisfied.

There were six more chapters listed after these. As hard as she searched, she couldn't find any symbols matching them from her translation notes. She hummed questioningly at the page in front her, silently asking it to suddenly become readable. After a while of fruitless staring, however, she shrugged and flipped to the page where the title, 'The Creation of Hyrule,' was adorned across the top. Taking hold of her utensil once more, she set to work.

Several hours passed and she was able to finish a large chunk of the first chapter. It told the tale of the gods and their creation of the land and its beings, something she'd never heard tell before. She drank it all in greedily, eager to finish the story.

The muteness she'd become accustomed to was suddenly broken by the front door opening. She grudgingly tore her eyes from the writing to investigate the noise. Link had walked in with a few bags gracing both of his arms that were filled with food. Her face lit up.

"Did you find anything?" she said. He placed the bags at the table and stretched his back until it popped.

"Yeah, I found one. She only wants twenty rupees for it. Granted, it's just a small cot," He replied.

"Great! I'll pay you back later." she gave him a smile that he only returned with a half grimace.

"Or, you could just pay for it yourself when we go to pick it up." He began putting away his groceries in the cabinet beside the stove. Mari watched as Link began putting away his groceries.

"That works too," She said slowly. With half a mind to keep the conversation brief, she almost had her pen back at her notes when another distracting disturbance.

A gust of wind brought about the appearance of their new comrade, the sorcerer Vaati. He materialized in front of the entrance and in the wake of the magic, all loose items and the vast majority of Marickiya's notes were sent flying.

"Woah," Mari exclaimed as she grabbed at the airborne pages. Before everything had settled all in differing positions, Link grumbled at the mage.

"How about let's not do that inside the house anymore." Vaati looked unabashed but gave a flourishing bow. Mari thought she had an idea to the reason for Link's irateness then.

"My apologies."

Marickiya went on looking around to make sure she wasn't missing anything then tried to strike up a conversation with Vaati.

"I see you're back empty handed," she stated offhandedly, putting the pages in order. Vaati replied as he helped Link tidy up the small mess he was responsible for.

"It looked like she burned all of my possessions. All except for one thing which I know for sure was not among the wreckage." He said back.

"What was it?"

"A gift from a friend that had powerful magic imbued within it. I'm sure she took it as a trophy of some sort."

"Well, we'll just have to get it back then." He looked up at her and she flashed him a cheeky grin. He smiled in response. Link cleared his throat.

"Marickiya, what is this?" he asked. Mari got up from her spot at the table and leaned over the edge of the loft. Link held two missing pages of her notes.

"It's something I've been working on for the past few weeks," she said. She waited patiently while he took in all the information on the sheets he held. He handed them back up to her.

"Are you writing a book?" he asked of her. She shook her head.

"Nope, I'm actually translating one." she got up and walked to her table and pulled her book from it, brandishing it at him. "From what I've got so far, it is a religious text about the creation of Hyrule and the Triforce."

"Interesting." He looked genuinely fascinated and she beamed at him. "Can I read it when you're done?" She gave him a nod.

"No problem." She was about to turn back to her work when Vaati's voice wafted up to her ears.

"May I have a look? Maybe I can help translating."Link and Mari both blinked. Then Link had an almost sour expression when Mari said,

"Sure. Come on up. You have to take the stairs like a normal person, though." She took her seat as she spoke.

"If you insist." Down at the tall dinner table, Link was rolling his eyes at their banter.

Vaati took the only other chair across from the girl and began scanning her notes. "May I see the book?" She offered it to Vaati who held out an expectant hand.

The transfer of power was immediately apparent as the leather bound cover made contact with his skin. As Mari looked away back to her paperwork, Vaati raised an eyebrow. There was a magical current coursing through it and it was very powerful.

"Well, that's interesting," he mumbled. Mari looked up at his voice and watched as he rifled through the pages with a delicate hand and bemused expression.

"What is it?" she asked. Having finished flipping to the back cover rather too quickly, he handed Mari back her book. She tilted her head to the side in a questioning gesture.

"It appears as if I won't be able to help after all. I cannot read it." He replied.

"I can't either," she had an eyebrow raised, "That's the whole point of translating it." She lifted the notes off the tabletop and waved them in front of him. He shook his head.

"No, no, I mean I cannot read it because I cannot see anything." Mari's confused expression returned and she dropped her sardonic tone.

"What do you mean?" She opened the book as he had. All the markings she'd been working off of were there for her to see. Stopping on a page with a sketch of what looked like a statue of a saintly woman, she turned it towards him. "You can't see this?" He shook his head.

"To me, it is blank." She scanned the page herself again, just to make extra sure it was still there. Running her fingers across the aged page, she could feel the indention where the ink had once wet the paper.

"That's so weird." She had an almost annoyed expression.

"It is not terribly strange." She looked up at him after turning a page absentmindedly. "I have encountered a few magical books before." Her eyes lit up.

"It's magic?" she said excitedly. He grinned at her interruption.

"I believe there is a charm on it. It only allows certain people to read it." He continued.

"I would have thought that you'd be more qualified than me to be allowed to read a magic book." She said and began looking at the pages with a new glint in her eye. He chuckled softly.

"It might not be as simple as that. It seems it is not looking at magical abilities you may or may not possess. It could be," he fished around for an idea, "The fact that you are a girl." She scoffed.

"I thought you said it wasn't that simple." He shook his head slowly.

"It _could_ be that simple." He corrected. Then another thought came to mind. "It could be something like your race." Suddenly her face fell.

"I don't know about that," she faltered. He had accidentally touched a nerve again.

"Then again," he said quickly, "The reason you can see it and I cannot could be the very fact that you are not a magic user."

She watched him for a second. She knew he had caught her demeanor and changed the subject quickly. "It could be," she said slowly. She grinned a bit. "Tell me, how does someone become a sorcerer."

He was thankful for the offer out of the delicate conversation. He scratched at his neck in a detached manner. "I have been able to use magic since I was born. I had to learn to control it." He held his hand and rippled his fingers. A small violet flame appeared at each tip one at a time, then they all merged into one still flame at the center of his palm. She couldn't take her eyes off of his little display. "I do not know how, or even if someone can learn to become a sorcerer. At least not like me," he finished and put out the purple fire by closing his fist.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked before thinking. He raised an eyebrow at her and she felt like smacking herself. "I meant, how are you different?" she tried to correct, but Vaati was already chuckling a lot more than he had in the last few months. He was very much used to being on his own, but he was finding it very easy to get along with the people here. It took him a few seconds to realize he was reveling in his own thoughts and causing a bit of a gap in the conversation. He cleared his throat.

"There are different kinds of magic users. Some have magical objects they draw power from, Like Link's gems for instance. Some must memorize the spells from books, and then there are Blood Mages." He put a hand to his chest, gesturing at himself. "Their power comes from within. They do not need to memorize anything. They just need something to channel their magic through."

"You mean like a staff? Or a wand?" Mari interjected again excitedly.

"Yes, those types of objects can be used. In my opinion, they are easily lost or broken." He pulled back his hair behind his ear. "I use this," he said. She leaned forward a bit to get a look at what he was referring to. Then she saw a small cuffed earring, barely making it all the way around his ear. It was a dull silver and had dark etchings all the way around it.

"You use jewelry?" He made a face at how she so easily made his idea sound foolish.

"Stones and gems work as the best conducting material." He said shortly. She grinned at his reply.

"Your choice in that earring was to make it easier to keep track of?" She asked of him. She continued before he could answer. "I disagree with that." Without another word, she set back to work, pointedly looking away from him. He wasn't the argumentative type, and so stood up to take his leave. He gave a courteous bow to which he received a staggered look.

"I am sorry to have distracted you, and thank you," he said all before standing upright and casually descending the stairs. Mari simply stared after him.

That was strange. Of course, everything about the man was strange. He could sense when she was ready for a change of subject and then he'd change it. He was never prying, but also fairly open with his own thoughts. She caught herself smiling at his awkwardness and how easily he was able to recover.

Then she stopped herself. No, nope. She had way more pressing matters to contend with just then. She couldn't spare a thought for a convoluted yet collected magician.

Still, definitely an interesting fellow, she allowed one last thought before picking up her quill.

0000

"Finished," Mari said quietly to herself. She picked up a few papers which she'd written page numbers on thanks to Vaati's entrance earlier in the morning. Then she got up and walked to the edge of the loft and looked down at her two roommates. Link was polishing an interesting looking blade that wasn't the Master Sword and Vaati was sitting at the table looking at a few books of his own. She assumed he had gotten them from one of the shelves lining the walls. "Alright, I'm done with the first chapter. Would you like to hear it?"

They both looked up. Glad to have their attention, she sat at the edge and dangled her feet down. She quietly cleared her throat.

"The first chapter is titled, 'The Creation of Hyrule,'" she began. Then paused. She hurriedly got up and went back to her table. "Sorry," she called, "I'm sure there are a few mistakes," she came back to her perch with her writing instruments.

"Okay. It begins.

"'Before Time began, before Life and spirits existed, three Golden Goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule.'"

"I've heard this," Link cut in.

"Yes, thank you." She stared down the Hylian who looked a bit sheepish. He went back to listening and polishing his blade.

"'Din gave the gift of earth: she cultivated the land with her flaming arms. Farore gave the gift of life to live upon her sister's lands. She created beautiful fairy-folk and powerful spirits made of light.'

"'Then, the Bark One-''" Her eyes widened. "Sorry, that's... uh... 'Dark One,'" Link began giggling. "No laughing!" She pointed her feathered pen at him, "I warned you there'd be mistakes." She scratched at the paper with her quill and made the necessary corrections. "'The Dark One stepped forth with his own proposals of life.'

"'They were not beautiful in the Goddesses eyes, differing in shapes, sizes, and ferocity. One race, he prided most of all: a race of mortals created in the image of the gods themselves.' Something wrong, Link?"

Link had quickly recovered from his fit and was giving her a confused look. "I've never heard of a 'Dark One'. Who is it?"

"I have no idea. This is only the first chapter," she said. Before they could discuss anything further, there was a frantic knocking on the door. Link got up and strolled over to the door. The knocking didn't stop until the door was open. Neither Vaati nor Mari could see who it was, but they could hear someone crying. Link then turned abruptly back to the room.

"I'll be back," he said, then quickly followed a portly looking woman down the steps, not even bothering to close the door behind him. An eerie silence followed. Vaati closed his eyes.

"It seems there is quite a gathering in the middle of the village," before he could finish his statement, Mari was hastily throwing her papers back on her table. She grabbed her twin blade holsters and was downstairs in a blink. Vaati was in step behind her.

He closed the door behind them and they made their way around the first house. Vaati had a thought. Before Mari could round the corner he grabbed her shoulder to halt her. She looked back at him with a fire in her eyes.

"What are you doing? He may need our help."

"I agree he will need our help." He held his hands in front of him to quiet her. "We must be discreet." He looked up at the roof of the building they were hiding behind.

"That is a good point-"

"Come on, up here." he grabbed her hand and they took a flying leap up onto the roof. Mari was startled by the sudden flight.

"You guys and your rooftops," she seethed through her teeth. The mage pulled her all the way onto the roof with him.

"What?" he asked, not truly paying attention to her words.

"Nothing." she replied with a shake of her head.

They carefully peered over the edge of the roof to assess the situation. People were backing away from a woman and Link was scowling at her.

"Where is she?" Link said forcefully. The woman grinned mischievously.

"Once you agree to the terms, she'll be escorted safely home." The woman replied. Vaati gasped lightly.

"That's Lana," he whispered. Mari squinted to try and get a good look at her. Besides the fact that it appeared as if this woman had taken someone hostage, Mari hated her. Her demeanor, her appearance, everything!

"I'm not agreeing to anything until I see her safe." Link retorted. If it were possible, her grin became even more malevolent.

"Oh, alright then," she gestured nonchalantly and a little girl popped into existence right in front of her.

"Mama!" she reached out. Several people made a step forward while the murmuring of the crowd grew. A knife also appeared seemingly from nowhere and was at the child's throat. She knew to stand still, but tears leaked from her eyes. Marickiya scowled along with Link.

"Uh-uh," Lana taunted, brandishing the intricate looking blade under the girl's chin. Many fists were clenched in frustration. They could see the woman who Link had followed into this trap just behind him on her knees sobbing. Mari could only guess that the girl belonged to her. Link stepped forward.

"What do you want?" he asked, his scowl deepening.

Vaati was thinking hard. He needed to find a way to separate the little girl from Lana without being seen. Annoying. But feasible.

"I want you to take a little walk with me. A mutual acquaintance of ours has been itching to see you again." Lana shouted from below.

"I assume that 'mutual acquaintance' would be Ganondorf." Link's hand reached up to the hilt of his sword. "And that means you are Lana."

The woman grinned. "Two for two."

"Marickiya," Vaati said fervently, "I need you to get down there. Tell one of the villagers to grab the girl when you attack her from behind." She opened her mouth as if to say something, but he was already looking back to the scene. "I need you do this very quickly," he said. After a second's pause she gave a gruff nod and headed for the edge of the roof behind him. Time for the fun part. He locked his gaze onto Link.

_'Link, keep stalling Lana. Mari is going to distract her. I have a protective barrier around the girl.'_ He tried to fit as much of an explanation into the least amount of words. He was projecting these words straight to Link. He wouldn't be able to hear anything back from him though. Link seemed to have gotten the message.

"We could do things that way." He said to the woman. "Or we could do things a little differently." He pulled out his bow and an arrow. Some people gasped again while the ones who stood behind Lana moved out of firing range. Someone shouted angrily at Link for being brash.

"Hah!" Lana laughed at Link. "Do you think you can hit your mark before-" she stopped in her taunt. Something distracted her. He thought for a second Mari had been noticed but when she looked down at the girl with a dawning expression, Vaati's stomach dropped. He didn't think Mari was the one who had been caught.

But then the Gerudo lunged from within the crowd and shouldered the distracted woman. In the momentary confusion, one of the burly men that Mari had leaped from behind was charging in and had grabbed the girl. Vaati breathed a quick sigh of relief at the little girl's safety. All this was happening in an instance and it wasn't long before Lana had her dagger coming down on her assailant. Mari already had her twin blades out and blocked easily. They were locked in a deadly embrace of sharp metal against sharp metal.

"Oh my! A Gerudo turned traitor. What's your name?" she asked candidly. Mari looked like she would kill the woman right then and there if she could.

"None of your damned business," she replied with a strained voice. Lana just laughed again, then she pushed Mari to the ground and jumped away. She flipped her dagger up into the air where it vanished and she gave a comical shrug.

"Well, folks. Looks like the fun is over for today." She said to the villagers at large. Then she turned back to Link and gave him a little wave. "See you again." Then she was gone; simply vanished from existence in the blink of an eye. Link breathed a sigh of relief. He held out a hand to the mother still on the ground. She looked utterly lost for words.

"I'm so sorry," she sputtered, "I should have kept a closer eye-" Link knelt down beside her and took her hand.

"It's alright," slowly he got her to her feet. Then he led her to where the men who had swooped in after the little girl were. A burly looking man had her by the shoulders in a fatherly sort of manner. When the mother walked into view, he lifted his hand and the child ran to her.

"Mama!" she cried again and the mother was in tears. The woman scooped the child up.

"Baby," she cooed as she stroked her hair, "I'm so sorry, baby." Link couldn't help but smile brightly. He looked around for Marickiya. She was being pulled up from the ground by one of the men who was praising her for her bravery.

"Aw, it wasn't anything special," she said in modesty.

"No." He said as he neared, "That was a good plan. I wasn't sure what I was going to do."

"Well, save your thanks for Vaati whenever he comes out of hiding." She replied, looking over the tops of peoples heads, presumably for the mage of which she spoke. They both looked up as the mother came up to them with her child on her hip.

"I want to properly thank you. Both of you," she smiled with wet eyes. The little girl was laying upon her mothers chest and peering at them shyly. Mari gave a her small wave and she smiled.

"We were glad to be able to help."Link said. Mari nodded along with him.

"Still, I have something to give and I want to give it."

Mari inclined her head to the side in curiosity while Link put up his hands.

"You don't have to do that," he said but he was cut short.

"Please, Link. I know it's a small thing, but I want this." She held his hand and he couldn't look away from her tear-filled eyes.

0000

"Do you need any help?" Mari asked timidly as Vaati walked up the stairs and to the edge of the loft. They had moved the shelf that was originally beside the front door to where it could be pulled up onto the second landing

"That is alright," Vaati said.

After a few moments of squabbling about how they were going to get the shelf up the stairs, he had suggested he just use his magic to move the book case. Link was against any more things going flying by magic but Mari was eager to see more of his talent. She agreed. She wasn't sure what he had in mind.

He leaned down and took hold of the shelf and simply lifted it as if it were made of paper. Mari gasped lightly in awe. Link rolled his eyes. In no time, the shelf was safely on the second floor.

"Just slide it all the way against the wall." Mari instructed as she rushed up the steps. He obliged and gave a final push and it fit snugly in the corner. It wasn't long after that and everyone was settled in like they were before the excitement. Mari grabbed her sheets of notes and took her place at the loft's edge and her feet dangling below.

"Would you guys like me to continue reading?" She asked aloud.

"Oh yeah. Go ahead," Link invited and she smiled at him before facing her notes.

"Continuing after the first two goddesses created the land and life: 'The _Dark_ One,'" she emphasized and Link stifled a giggle, "'Stepped forth with his own proposals of life. They were not beautiful in the Goddesses eyes, differing in shapes, sizes, and ferocity. One race, he prided most of all: a race of mortals created in the image of the gods themselves.'

"'The three gods, however, denounced them all as lesser beings, angering the Dark One. In retaliation, he then created Choice: the chance to follow, or be followed. Due to this Choice, many hearts turned to hatred and greed, jealousy and immorality. The Golden Goddesses were appalled.'

"'The last remaining sister, Nayru, came forward, quelling her sisters. She had not yet given her own gift. She decided upon the Law that all Life must uphold, instilling a sense of justice within each and every creature.'

"'The Three Goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens, but not before they dealt punishment upon the Dark One for tarnishing their perfect world. They banished him to the mortal world they created, sealing his immortality.'

"'Three golden triangles remained where they joined to keep his powers bound, preventing him from rejoining the gods. The resting place of these triangles is the Sacred Realm.'"

When she finished, there was a pregnant pause. After a moment, Mari spoke again.

"I wish it were descriptive about this 'Dark One,'" she said. "It sounds really interesting."

"Yes it does. I've never heard that part of the legend," Link added. "It almost sounds fictional."

"I can't say if it's at all true or not. I'm just the translator." Mari murmured. She noticed Vaati was staring intently at the floor, looking pensive.

"You are awfully quiet over there," she called to him."Have you heard this story before?" she asked. To her mild surprise, he nodded once without looking up.

"I hear many things while I travel." He said simply. "And from those who sent me on my quest."

There was a few seconds of silence. Then Link made an odd face. Mari was about to ask him if there was anything wrong when he whipped his whole body around to face Vaati.

"What do you mean by that?" he said, his brow furrowed. Marickiya looked between the two, nonplussed.

"Exactly what it sounds like. I was sent here to eliminate a threat." He'd been sitting with his arms crossed the whole time and adopted a dark expression. The other two were quiet in anticipation. "One that not only affects the mortal realm, but the heavens as well."

"You are _joking_." Link denied.

"I am not." Vaati shot back. Mari was still trying to fit the pieces together.

"So you're saying that-" Link cut across her with a hand held up.

"I don't even know if I want to hear you finish that question." He got up. "I'm going for a walk." He was opening and closing the door before another word could be uttered.

"It's Ganon." Mari said incredulously. "Ganondorf?" she looked aghast now. "That's impossible."

"None other."

The bottom of Marickiya's stomach was doing several flips. This was something else now. This wasn't simply a man trying to govern an entire kingdom through fear and force. There were higher stakes. Mari could barely breathe.

"Can we really defeat a god?"

Vaati did not give her an answer.

0000  
>"I think you were right about the sorcerer. He's still alive."<p>

Lana was standing on the opposite side of the room from the Evil King, despite the tactic making conversation more difficult. There was a two moblin brawl taking place between them that Ganon was overseeing. They were fighting over who was more loyal to their King. Ganon said they could prove it in a duel. He had many more creatures at his command to spare a couple of morons. Besides, he was somewhat entertained by their idiocy and violence.

"Of course, I was right," he said through a mouthful of a cooked leg of some large animal.

"I believe he has now teamed up with our enemy, as well." That was the real bit of news she was reporting in. Ganon watched her still features, drinking in her stoicism. He knew she feared telling him this information. He could smell it on her when she first entered the room. He put down his meal and grinned menacingly.

"Was he a bit more than you bargained for?" he mocked. He stood quickly and the two wrestling moblins hurriedly began bowing at his feet as he passed them. "I'm sure you're going to tell me now, about how you'll do better next time."

He was right before her and she held her position. Not bothering to wipe his greasy fingers, he reached forward and brought her chin up so that she was looking him in the eyes. That was when he noticed a small scuff on her shoulder.

"What's this?" he asked, uncaring. It sounded more like he was annoyed to find a scratch on his favorite toy.

"A token from one of your Gerudo." she bit back. She knew she'd pay for her tone later. Ganondorf 'tsk'ed.

"What were you doing with one of _my _Gerudo?" he said accusingly.

"I did nothing to her. She is also apart of the the Hero's little group." Lana explained. She received a raised eyebrow from her King.

"Are you speaking of that ditz of a girl you pursued at the ranch? You didn't say she was a Gerudo." Ganondorf crossed his arms and began cleaning his teeth of meaty bits with his tongue. How interesting for a traitorous Gerudo to be thrown into the works. Inconsequential, but interesting.

"Will you do me the favor of ending her for me?" he said with the same tone of voice one would use when requesting for a child to pick up after themselves.

"With pleasure, my King." Lana intoned. She melded into the shadows with a thin line for a mouth.

"That's what I like to hear." He turned to the formerly combat-locked moblins. "I don't remember telling you to stop."

There was a battle cry as the smaller of the two moblins unsheathed a rusty hand-made knife and jumped on top of his opponent who was caught unawares at the sudden restart of their conflict. The dull blade was plunged into its thick skull. He didn't even have time to yell out in surprise before his body slumped to the floor in a lifeless heap.

"Good." Ganondorf guffawed. He strode back to his throne and fell heavily into it. "Now clean up this mess you've just made."


	10. Chapter 10

Split Forces

Marickiya tapped her foot on the floor anxiously. "I am sure he is fine." Vaati reassured for the third time that morning. She only hummed in response.

Link had not reappeared from his walk from the night before, and Mari hadn't found out until she woke up a few short hours ago. So many things went through her head; captured, tortured, beaten, killed... He was only the sole sworn enemy of the King of Evil. She huffed in annoyance for the umpteenth time.

The door handle jiggled. With a light gasp, she got to her feet and stared at the portal. Link walked in and had the door completely closed before he noticed the tense silence that was greeting him. First he saw Marickiya, her towering demeanor was hard to miss. His eyes flicked over to Vaati who gave him a slight shrug. His attention was back on Mari when she began to speak.

"Where did you go last night?" She asked quietly. The tone of voice she used was frightening.

"Uh-," he stuttered, "To the Ranch. Why?" he said trying to make the conversation sound casual. She stamped her foot.

"We've just found out our enemy is a heck of a lot more powerful than we originally thought and you decide to go missing?" She'd been itching to say these words to him since waking and was close to tears. His eyebrows were so high, they disappeared into his hair.

"I wasn't missing, I was-" he paused, seeing the worry peek through the anger in her eyes, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I just needed some time to think." She eyed him for a second longer, then huffed and took her seat back at the table. Link joined her as she spoke.

"So, what did you need at Lon Lon? A certain farm girl?" She said it with a sarcastic tone. He only raised one eyebrow then. She grinned back at him.

"Unfortunately, no," she finally let out a small chuckle, "I met with some of the Sages." Mari straightened up and was listening intently. Vaati seemed pretty interested as well. Link tried not to look smug about grabbing her attention away from being angry at him so easily. "We talked so long, it was too late for me to make a safe trip back." Mari nodded her approval.

"What did you guys talk about?" She asked sincerely. Link sighed and there was a visible uncomfortableness about his movements.

"Well, after what we learned last night, I needed to find out if all of it was true. I met with Impa, Nabooru, and Rauru. The others had returned to their tribes." Link sighed and removed his hat, gathering his thoughts. "It's all true. Impa was the only one to outright admit that she knew. Everyone else kept pretty quiet the rest of the time. Impa... asked me where I had heard about it."

Marickiya blinked a few times. The way Link made it sound, Impa wasn't too happy that Link had found out about Ganon's mortal status. That brought it back to her. Could she be in trouble? "What did you tell her?" Link scratched at his scalp.

"Well, I was pretty frustrated that she had been holding onto this information. I'm sure at least Rauru knew about it as well. They've been keeping it from me," his eyes were glued to the surface of the table. He looked immensely troubled by this revelation. "I've been carrying this war by myself without any knowledge of my adversary." Marickiya thought that did seem a little unfair. She also thought that perhaps the Sages were trying to keep Link focused on the fight instead of overwhelming him. As unfair as that was, she couldn't help but remind herself that she was keeping information to herself regarding him as well. She resisted biting her lip in a guilty fashion and placed a hand on Link's shoulder. The man sighed again. "I didn't tell her about you or your book. I told her I had heard it from some passing Sheikah. I don't think she believed me, but she didn't press the matter."

"We are in this together, now," Mari said trying to sound as reassuring as possible. Link still had a unsettled air about him. "What is it?" she asked with concern.

"There's something else," he began. He sat up straighter and his demeanor became serious. "There's news that all the new roads leading out of Hyrule have been cut off." Mari looked perplexed.

"You mean like a road block?" She asked. Link shook his head.

"It's more like a barrier made out of magic, keeping everyone out." He replied darkly.

"And all of us trapped inside," Vaati spoke for the first time during their conversation. He crossed his arms and the room became quiet.

"Is he trying to keep us from getting help?" Mari voiced aloud.

"The Sages have guessed, and I have to agree, he is trying to keep the Triforce pieces contained so he can retrieve them more easily." Link said. "Wouldn't that mean that he thinks Wisdom is still in Hyrule?" Mari asked, then added excitedly, "That helps us, too, right?"

"Nothing is certain," he replied, ending the discussion. He was keen to begin a different one. "You," he asked of the sorcerer. Vaati merely glanced at him with his arms still crossed. The Hylian had addressed him rather rudely and he wasn't about to show any kind of respect by giving his full attention. Link continued, unabated. "The Sages have asked, since you had been tailing Ganondorf for some time, that you tell us everything you learned." It was more or less a demand. His loyalty was being tested. It was difficult for him not to make any kind of gesture to give away his annoyance. He had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time he was going to be tried.

"Ganondorf has been in hiding for some time now. He is attempting to keep out of sight mostly and sends hordes of monsters to instill fear in the people of Hyrule." He stated simply. Link didn't appear satisfied.

"Where has he been hiding?" Link asked a bit forcefully. Vaati uncrossed his arms and was half a second away from snapping at the hero. Mari's eyes caught his just before his outburst. It was like she knew what was going on in his thoughts and was pleading with him. They looked almost apologetic. He grumbled to himself and continued evenly.

"An underground city. It would seem he is still recovering from a great injury and only hides there when he needs to recuperate. Otherwise, he is above ground searching for something." Mari decided to interject before Link could say anything. "That's most likely the Triforce piece of Wisdom we're all missing." She said thoughtfully and adopted a pensive look. "Do you know how to get inside?" Link asked. This question was less harsh and more desperate sounding than anything. Vaati had the impression that Link hadn't meant to come across that way. The hero crossed his own arms and sat back awaiting an answer.

"I do not know if there is a usable entrance. Ganondorf simply warps bits of his armies out with his magic." Silence reigned once again while everyone was lost in thought. Then Link placed his palms on the table and stood up.

"Thank you for telling me this. It will definitely help." He walked over to his bedside where his belongings resided and began rifling through his trunk. "I'm going to go on ahead and get ready for today." At Marickiya's silence, he looked up at her to be met with a puzzled face. "You're still up for it right?" He had pulled out two items from his chest and held one of them out to the girl. Her eyes lit with understanding.

"Oh! Yes, I am." She said and reached out for the sword he offered her.

"Right," he nodded and draped a pretty red sheath over his shoulder. "I'll meet you next door then." "Okay," she said as she watched him make his way outside. Once the door was closed she turned to Vaati. "Would you like to come along?" she grinned. Vaati noted that she waited until Link was no longer present to ask him this question.

"Come along to what, exactly?" he asked a little skeptically.

0000

Vaati had followed Mari towards the rather large house that was situated just below their own abode. Marickiya had just finished telling him all that Link had told her about the house. He said that during his adventure, a family used to live there, but they were all under a curse. The curse had turned them all into skulltulas! Mari had shivered at the mention of it. After Ganon's defeat, the family had skipped town and were never heard from again. They had left all their belongings behind and abandoned their house. For an unknown reason, no matter how many remodels it went through, the house never sold. She finished by saying that she didn't really believe Link's story, especially after he said that he single-handedly broke their curse by traveling the land in search of the ninety-nine gold skulltulas to destroy them. Vaati was only half listening to her ramblings.

As much of a bad idea he thought it was to wander around out in the open with Lana so close on his trail, the term "sword-fighting lessons" was just all too intriguing for him. It was only next door after all. He feared, though, that he looked a bit too interested when Mari had asked him because when they arrived, she kept pestering him about his swordplay skills.

"Have you used a sword before?" She asked of him. He kept his eyes on Link, the instructor. As annoying as he found the Hylian, he admitted he could certainly handle himself with a blade.

"Yes," was his curt reply. She didn't seem to pick up on his tone however.

"What kind of sword do you use?" She asked.

"A sharp one." Marickiya, instead of taking that as a cue to stop talking, giggled lightly. He felt his neck burn a bit as he saw Link's eyes rove over the two of them as he spoke to the room full of swordsman hopefuls. He had already made a sour face when they walked in together, and he didn't need any more grief from the man.

"You should spar with Link some time. Maybe that's the way you two will ever get along." She quipped. He turned to face her and he caught her smirk. She was trying to tease him into talking. He took in a short breath to retaliate when they were interrupted.

"What's this I hear about sparring? You up for another defeat, Mari?" Link was upon the two of them. She hadn't been paying attention and he was going to make her pay for it with a challenge. She was a bit abashed for a second but then an idea struck her.

"No, but Vaati is," and she pushed him forward. Link looked him up and down.

"Do you even have a sword?" Vaati didn't have time to protest before Mari had pushed him into the center of the room. All eyes were upon him now. He didn't feel like explaining himself at that point. He would only appear foolish. On top of that, link's accusatory tone further annoyed the mage.

"I do," he said resolutely. He made a motion that looked as if he were unsheathing something even though there wasn't a sheath strapped to his side and a long thin sword appeared in his right hand. Some people gasped quietly and whispers of the words 'magic' and 'sorcerer' floated around the room. Link sized him up.

"Alright, I'll begin with some rules to practicing in this room. There shouldn't be any all out fighting going on, this is strictly about learning moves and honing them. We," Link gestured to himself and Vaati who stood opposite him, "will show you some basics. First, I'll have Vaati come at me," and with that, his sword was at the ready. Vaati didn't miss a beat and his sword was up almost in time with the Hylian's. One thing Vaati noticed about Link was that he looked all too confident in himself. He didn't plan on making a fool of him, but if it happened to turn out that way, he wouldn't be bothered. Vaati took his first step.

Link suddenly lunged forward nearly catching the sorcerer off guard. He wasn't sure why he didn't expect Link to pull a trick move so quickly. He sidestepped and they swiveled past each other, ending up in the others original position and yet never taking eyes off of each other. Link's smirk widened.

"You read me well. It's good to be ready to make split second decisions," the second sentence was for the room at large. Then they were back to staring down one another. Link began to edge around the circle everyone had made to give them space and Vaati followed suit.

Vaati leapt lightly towards Link, bringing his sword down. Link easily brought his up to block. There was a glint in the mage's eye as he fluidly angled his sword and took a non-threatening swipe at Link's torso. Link looked a little surprised by this tactic as he arched his back to avoid touching his opponents blade. Vaati followed through by twirling around and swinging his sword in from the side. Metal finally clashed as Link blocked the attempt. They were both grinning.

Marickiya watched her friends' sword play intently. With the first few moves, it appeared as if they were merely testing the waters. After that, they began exchanging real blows. So much for the 'no all out fighting' rule, she thought with a shake of her head. Looking around at the onlookers excited faces, she didn't think anyone was going to complain. The both of them moved through the air with ease, knocking away attempted stabs and swings. Link would get a good feint in and Vaati would adjust accordingly. It was easy to tell they were both seasoned fighters. It was also easy to tell that they were enjoying themselves immensely. They had hardened looks but Mari could definitely see in them the joy of finding a skilled opponent. She resisted laughing out loud.

After a good while of non-stop sword blows, Vaati slipped up. It was incredibly miniscule, no one even saw the mistake he had made. But he knew that Link had noticed it. He only caught a glimpse of the Hylian's look of triumph before the tip of a yellow blade obscured his vision. Everything halted as he leaned back, away from the sword that was held beneath his chin. Then there was an intrusive explosion of applause. He blinked several times before he remembered that they were in the middle of a class. Link lowered his weapon and approached Vaati.

"You're rather good. I pity who ever challenges you to a real match." He held out his right hand towards the mage. Vaati's sword vanished as he brought his hand to shake Link's. He began talking to the group again and Vaati took his place beside Mari.

"That was incredible," she breathed to him, keen on being quieter this time. Though with the chatter of excitement twittering around them, she wasn't as worried about interrupting Link again. Vaati merely hummed in response. He was watching Link demonstrating different blocking techniques. Mari smiled to herself.

"Alright. Everyone split up into pairs and begin practicing blocking. If there is an odd number, someone will need to take turns." There was rustling and small lull of voices as people were edging around the room to their friends. Mari turned to face Vaati.

"Guess it's you and me, then." He nodded in agreement, his sword appearing in his hand again as if from nowhere. He took a defensive stance. "I take it you're first, then." He stood straight.

"Did you want to?" he asked but she was already shaking her head.

"No, you're fine." He nodded and got back into position.

'Okay,' she readied herself. Part of her mind was distracted by not appearing foolish in front of Vaati. The other part was distracted by not really knowing if she should be forceful or gentle. This caused her to amble awkwardly with the short sword Link had given her earlier toward Vaati. He held up his sword against her weak attempt. There stood there for a second before Vaati couldn't help but look amused. So much for not appearing foolish, she sighed.

"You will not hurt me, so do not worry about..." he thought for half a second, "'Going easy on me.'" He finished. She smiled sheepishly in return. They got back into their original positions and he signaled to her his readiness. She felt a little more confident after a few good swings. Vaati would give her some advice on force and about knowing when someone is going to try and block you. She kept up with it pretty well, she thought. Then they switched roles. Before he began, he gave her a fair warning that an opponent was probably not going to save their strength for any blows and that he would show her what to do when you can be over powered. She thought to herself that she appreciated Vaati's teaching method of explanation before demonstration. More than Link's 'learning on your feet because that's how he did it' method. As Vaati moved around and resetting his position, she noticed he kept re-tucking his long hair behind his ear.

"You should get a hat like link's." Vaati's ears twitched at the interruption. Really, she just said whatever she wanted!

"I used to. It did not really fit my style." He retorted with missing a beat. Her eyes widened.

"Was that a joke?" He couldn't help his lip turning up at one corner. She laughed lightly and shook her head. "I was only suggesting it because you keep having to move your hair out of your eyes." He stopped to bring his hand around his ear, realizing he had done it multiple times now. He hummed.

"Oh, what about this?" She untied a untied a small, brown piece of cloth from her wrist. She offered it to the mage who took it between his fingers. It was a soft material.

"It will do." He nodded. He gathered his long hair at the back of his head and wrapped the cloth around it once, then knotted it. The part that always hung over his right eye was left unbound. Mari cocked her head slightly in a questioning manner but Vaati ignored it, getting ready to continue their training.  
>Link had watched them interact as he made his way around the room. He was only half interested in what the trainees were doing, occasionally pointing something out that was blatantly wrong. Anything else wasn't enough to grab his attention away from the pair across the room. It had taken him a while to pinpoint his emotions at that moment. Toward the mage, it had always been mistrust, annoyance, enmity. Towards Marickiya, at that moment, was a small amount of resentment. He watched them banter out of the corner of his eye again.<p>

He couldn't understand why she seemed so distant with him and then so open to Vaati. He was the one to open his door to her. He told her that his home was her home now. So why did she almost openly pursue the mage? She laughed, really laughed, around Vaati though he seemed to never show any kind of emotion in return. Well, whenever Link was around it seemed that way. Just then, he watched as Vaati twirled around her with his sword. She barely managed to block it and ended up falling over backward. He put a hand over his mouth, not in surprise but to hide a smile and she doubled up in laughter once more. Link flared his nostrils in irritation and he pulled his gaze back to the other students.

It wasn't as if she didn't know of his pursuit of Malon. She even joked about it earlier that morning. That was probably it. She was giving him space. He felt the space she gave was a little too wide.

He had to admit, he had feelings for the Gerudo teen he'd allowed to live in his home. The hard part was figuring out what kind of feelings they were.  
>After a few hours of working on simple sword techniques, everyone was feeling pretty tired. Link decided to wrap up the days lesson.<p>

"Okay, everyone. I believe that is a good start to learning some self defense. I don't think we can keep doing this every week," there were a few 'aww's' in response to this, "If you have any questions, feel free to come to me." And with that everyone began packing up and filing out of the door. Soon, there were a few stragglers, Vaati, Mari, and himself left. "That was great, Link," Mari ambled over to him and thumped him on the back.

"Thanks," Link mumbled in response. Vaati had kept a bit of distance as he put his sword away. He looked up and he and Link made eye contact. Link suddenly felt foolish for there was a very small chance that Vaati hadn't noticed him stealing glances at the two of them all afternoon. He was the first to break his gaze.

"I am heading back," Vaati announced. Mari 'oh'-ed with disappointment in her voice, but Vaati had vanished before anything else could be said. Link could feel his neck burning. "Hey," Mari said quietly. Link turned to her and was surprised when she was smiling brightly. "Do you wanna go for a ride? Trysting has been cooped up for a while and I'm sure Epona wouldn't mind a bit of fun." She had noticed as well. Wonderful. He wanted to kick himself. On the outside he gave Marickiya a smile.

"Sure, that sounds great."

0000

"You're going down, 'Hero!'" It wasn't the first time someone had used his title in such a teasing manner. He laughed out loud.

"You seriously underestimate me behind the reigns of a horse!" He shouted back over the clopping of hooves and the wind whipping around their ears. It was a race to the bridge before Kakariko village. They had been neck and neck but Mari was pulling ahead. She looked over to Link as she was passing him

"I hope you're not letting me win," she taunted.

"Never!" He put on a burst of speed and easily outstripped Mari's black mare, leaving her with a shocked look.

"Oh no you don't," and she urged Trysting to catch up. Trysting was more than willing to oblige. He hadn't been able to go full out for a long time. They were tied again, both pushing their steeds to the maximum. The bridge was coming upon them through a blur of colors. Mari chanced a glance at her opponent and saw him staring determinedly ahead. She wanted to laugh at how seriously he looked. They were so close together, Mari inching ahead only slightly. Suddenly, Epona dug her heals into the ground, kicking up a lot of dirt and bringing them to a halt. Link 'woah'ed and Epona reared. From atop his saddle, Link watched Mari shoot forward towards the bridge. Just as she was about to hit stonework, her horse, with its mighty muscled legs, crouched and then lept clean over the bridge. Epona's front legs hit and the ground and he gawked in astonishment for a second at Mari as she slowed and began circling and whooping in triumph from across the water. He grinned and led his horse to the crest of the bridge where he stopped.

"That was a good race," he shouted to get the girls attention. She beamed back at him as Trysting continued to kick out in excitement. "We have a clear winner." He said and snarky grin appeared on his face.

"Yeah we do! Do you still think I underestimated you?" She called back, patting Trysting's mane. Link put on a show of looking confused.

"How do you mean?" he said animatedly, "I'm the one who won the race." Mari looked up at him wondering if he'd hit his head or something when Epona stopped him.

"What? No you didn't," she said back with her head cocked to the side.

"I believe we agreed 'first one to the bridge' would be the winner."

"Yeah, and I-" she halted and Link leaned on his elbows as he watched her figure it out. Her gaze went from the bridge his horse stood upon to Link's nearly smug face.

"But...But I-" she stuttered and Link busted out laughing. She scowled.

"Laugh it up, Link. You won't wriggle out of buying my lunch through cheating." To this, Link looked playfully affronted.

"Me? Cheating?" He put a hand to his chest. "Never!"

"Quiet you," Mari snapped and Link continued with his laughter.

Link and Marickiya walked their steeds up the horses path into the village. It didn't take long after dropping Epona and Trysting off at the stables for Mari to head off towards the vendors. Link laughed after the girl as he tried to keep up. "What sounds good for food?" Link asked of her when she stopped for him. She smiled and lead him over to a stall where something was sizzling. The smell of cooking food overwhelmed his senses as they neared. They watched a burly looking man turning meat over a fire and Link felt his stomach lurch in longing. He had just realized he hadn't eaten since the night before. "That does sound good." "You're drooling a little, just there," Mari pointed at the corner of his mouth and he nudged her away playfully.

After purchasing two bowls of cooked meat and vegetables, they chowed down while they meandered through the mill of people doing their shopping. Marickiya talked animatedly the whole while. They were both enjoying themselves. They arrived at a weapons stall where Link was admiring a nice bow that was on sale. The salesmen was working his magic on him. They bartered for a bit and Link had to admit, his seven year old short bow was looking pretty sorry in comparison to the mahogany longbow in his hands. The man trying to sell it to him put his hands on his hips.

"I'll tell you what, Hero of Time. You've done all of Hyrule a great service in the past. So, I'll make you a 'heroes only' deal." Link looked up at him while still fondling the curved wood. "I'll go ahead and knock off that extra 10 rupees, and," he paused with a flourish like he was giving him the deal of a lifetime, "I'll let you try it out first." It happened then. Before Link could reply to the man, a shout erupted inside his head that only he could hear,

_ 'Link, Marickiya's in danger!'_

0000

Vaati had warped back to the house immediately following the sword training in hopes of staying out of sight. He was beginning to feel more tense as the morning dragged on. It felt as if something was closing in on him. He picked up the things he'd accidentally strewn about with his appearance in the room. He didn't want Link to be upset at him for anything else. He guessed that part of the tension was stemming from the Hero of Time. He let out a long breath in an attempt to still his anxiety. He was becoming irate at the amount of disquiet he felt for unknown reasons. He went over to the water basin near the window and used a smaller bowl to scoop some out. He grabbed a clean cloth and dipped it in his bowl and began washing his face, arms, and neck. He tried to steady his heart through deep breaths.

_'Quiet your mind, young one. Those who work in shadows are keen to stay out of the light.'_

"Those who work in shadows..." Vaati mumbled. He closed his eyes to concentrate on his other senses.

He felt something familiar, yet could not grasp it. It whipped just out of his reach and danced at the edge of his consciousness. Then, he was finally able to grab hold of it in his mind's eye. He held on as his eyes fly open to the spot where he felt the force. Up in Marickiya's loft, a looming figure was skulking. It had noticed it had been caught and just as quickly as he had it in his sights, the thing vanished. All that remained of it was an eerie, toothy grin.

So his presence was known. Of course, he already knew that. A scout in the house made him sure of it. Now he knew why he felt anxious. The enemy was already here. But if they knew of him, why weren't they attacking?

He swore out loud. How could he be such a fool? They weren't after him.

He turned on his heel and in an instant, floated above the crowds of Kakariko, just out of sight. Dark clouds had taken up residence in the sky over the village that hadn't been there earlier in the morning. There would most likely be a storm during the night. He brought down his gaze from above.

He began his search of the people below, face to face to face. Link's green pointed cap was easily spotted. He was speaking amiably with a vendor. He searched the other man's face, actions, aura. Nothing was out of place. Why was Mari not with him? His heart trilled as he searched again with fervor. He would not have someone hurt because of his incompetence. He found her. She was peering at some trinket in a stall. An elderly man was chatting with her about his wares. It was here that Vaati sensed danger. Where was it coming from? He tried to pinpoint a source but it was hazy to him. All he knew was that the threat was towards Mari so he decided to put up a barrier around her. Something else was wrong. There was already a barrier around her but it was not meant for protection. It was keeping all other magic out. He would not be able to reach her if something happened. He was on the brink of panic when he remembered; Link.

_'Link, Marickiya's in danger!'_

0000

Link jumped out of his skin. It wasn't until a full second after the residual echo of Vaati's voice had died away did he comprehend the word's meaning. He looked up to find Mari wasn't anywhere near him. When had she wandered off? He shook himself of the useless thought, his sharp eyes darting through the faces in the crowd searchingly. There! She was at another stall down the row from him talking with its vendor. Nothing appeared out of place. Though there was an unnerving glint in the man's eye that made Link uncomfortable. That wasn't enough for suspicion. Mari could easily handle the aged man on her own. Still, he decided to make his way over to the pair of them.

"I'll be right back," Link said to the vendor, grabbing a couple of arrows from his collection. Before the man could protest, Link started after Mari, careful to not be seen. Though he tried to avoid it, keeping his eyes locked in their direction caused him to bump into someone. After a quick glance in their direction, he gave a hurried apology, then halted in his tracks. His face whipped back to stare at the man he'd run into. He drank in his features.

"Is everything alright, son?" An exact replica of the man Mari spoke with was standing right in front of him.

"Yeah-" Link trailed off as he backed away and quickened his pace. He was closing in on Mari. Purpose overpowered uncertainty and confusion. He was almost upon them and there was a flash of metal. Link lunged forward-

Marickiya gasped. There was an intense stinging around her midriff and she stumbled backward in shock. Link was suddenly standing in front of her, shielding her from something. She couldn't see what was happening, only hear voices. The stinging at her hip intensified and she clapped a hand to it with a wince. Link threw a quick glance behind him at her before turning to face the situation at hand. Link had a tight grip on the wrist of the old man so they could do no more harm.

"Ganondorf sent you, I m assuming." Link s voice was lowered. He squeezed and twisted their arm hard until the dagger fell to the ground. Mari saw the bloody blade drop onto the grass. There was a shimmer from the hilt and she knew exactly where it had come from.

"Nice guessing," the man's form writhed in Link's grasp. The arm he held onto rippled into a shadow and before Link could react, he was flipped onto his back and was lying winded on the ground. The shadow spread across the man as he delicately landed a ways away. When the shadow crossed over his face, it revealed a much younger looking woman had taken his place.

"Lana," Mari grunted in irritation. The woman grinned annoyingly. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting a little bit of payback." She gestured at the dagger lying on the ground at Link's feet, who was picking himself up. Then she put her hand over her eyes as she looked around in jesting motion. "I was also hoping to have a chat with a dear friend of mine."

People were noticing what was going on and were steering clear of the confrontation, forming a circle of onlookers. Link glared at her. "You won't find any friends of yours here."

"How cute." Lana laughed a tinkling laugh. "Now, where's the sorcerer?"

"He's not here." Marickiya yelled. Lana raised her eyebrows.

"Oh my, you're quick to defend. I was so hoping to get to see him." A ball of magically energy sprung to life between her fingers. "I thought getting at you would surely lure him out." She grinned madly. "It appears I was correct." She twirled on the spot and threw her little ball of energy skyward. Following its ascent, it was then that the two noticed Vaati hovering just above the closest house.

It was a direct hit and the magic exploded on impact. Vaati went sailing to the ground, clearly injured. Suddenly, weapons were being drawn and the men wielding them moved towards the center of the gathering. Lana laughed out loud, high and mocking. "Just try and hit me, I dare you! All of you!"

Before she could do anything more, something bright went streaking towards her and caught her in the shoulder. She was engulfed in a bright golden flame and was screaming in agony. She hugged her sides and fell to her knees.

"Oh, do you not like my light arrows?" Link asked cockily to get her attention. She turned to him with a grimace of pain as he held another nocked arrow on her.

"You little cheat!" Link raised a single eyebrow at her statement. "I won't forget this." She said as she began to melt into the shadows that surrounded her. Soon all that was left of her was the burned image of her silhouette in their eyes.

With the discernible threat gone, Marickiya took off. Before Link could call out to her, he was swarmed by villagers all wanting to thank and congratulate him. Marickiya headed in the direction she'd seen Vaati fall. Rounding a corner of the building below which he'd been hit, she rushed over.

"Are you alright?" She slid to the ground beside him as he sat up.

"I am fine. I was only caught off guard." He put a hand to his head where he imagined a small bump was receding from his healing magic.

"Caught off guard? You fell like three stories!" She gestured at the sky where he had fallen from. He laughed at her shocked expression and outburst.

"I am sorry to worry you." He glanced at her hand that she still held to her side. Little beads of blood were beginning to seep through her fingers. "You should worry more about that," he pointed at her abdomen. She looked down with a strange look and took her hand away to inspect the damage. The wound started to gush out more precious liquid. She replaced her palm against it.

"I'm okay." She said distantly. "It's not deep." Behind her, Vaati noticed Link was approaching with a a few men who had weapons. He looked livid.

"You should still get it cleaned up," Vaati said gently as he picked himself up off the ground. Link looked between the two of them, then rested his heated glare on the mage.

"You neglected to mention that she was able to change her appearance." Vaati held the Hylian's intense gaze. Mari wanted to interject, but didn't know what to say and could only stare between her companions.

"I sincerely apologize. It was not my intention to keep anything from you." Vaati said evenly but Link figured out what he meant by that.

"Forgot to mention it, then? Your forgetfulness has put people in danger." Vaati scowled and looked away. Mari stood up quickly.

"Link," was all she could get out before she fell to one knee, one hand holding her head, the other on her side. Link's features still held their ferocity but were mingled with concern as well.

"Marickiya, get back to the house and get that cleaned. " He helped her stand all the way up again but she still held her head for a moment longer.

"I'm okay. Just stood up too fast." She looked up at Link who gave her a stern glare. He had looked just as angry at her as he was at Vaati. She shied away from him. "I'll be at the house," she muttered and moved away from him. He reached out after her but she was quick to get out of his reach. He sighed inwardly. He turned his attention back towards where he left the mage and found him to be gone as well. A quick search and he saw Vaati trailing a bit behind Marickiya. His scowl which never left him, deepened. He turned to the other men.

"We are going to need a double night's watch now." He growled. "If we have to, keep track of names and faces entering and leaving." The men nodded and went about organizing his orders.

0000

Ganondorf busied himself with the grooming of his finger nails while his servant knelt before his throne. He was as disinterested as he could get.

"You require my assistance?" he asked without looking at her. He could smell the tears running down her face. She was in quite a lot of pain and he relished in it. He would drag it out as long as he pleased. Her discomfort was his delight.

"Yes, sire," she grunted out. "As I said, no one else can remove it." He finally inclined his head toward her and took in the sight. A long arrow protruded from her shoulder blade. It wasn't a serious injury by any means. She would live through it. What was truly causing her suffering was the residual light energy that conflicted with the dark power he had given her to wield. It was why none of his other minions could touch it. Not that he liked touching it any more than they did. He could feel the holy power emanating from the thing from where he sat. He sat up in his throne and leaned forward.

"Now, how did that happen?" he asked softly, dangerously. He would interrogate her first before aiding her. She thought it better to cooperate with him to speed things along.

"I was shot with a light arrow by the Hero of Time." She said. He stood and began edging around her in a circle, eyeing the damage. She could not follow his path with her eyes and so remained facing where he had sat.

"You must have been pretty distracted to have allowed him to get such a good hit in." Ganon continued. Lana winced as another wave of stinging was wrought against her.

"I-I was preoccupied with the mage. Got a good hit on him as well." She was struggling to remain conscious now. Ganondorf still wanted to drag it out as long as possible.

"What about their female companion? You told me she was one of _my_ Gerudo," the way he said it made it sound like he was challenging her to try and suggest that any of his tribe would betray him. Well, any of them excluding Nabooru. Boy, did he have plans for her.

Her reply could take the situation one of two ways, and Lana was intent on not insulting the only person who could relieve her of this pain. She swallowed hard.

"It would appear that she is not a full blooded Gerudo, my King." Her vision was becoming blurry, but she could have sworn a look of shock befell her master's face for a second. He didn't let it show for too long. He kept pacing around until he ended up behind her. "They've been calling her 'Mari,'" Lana tried to move her head to try and see Ganondorf's face but he placed a hand on her good shoulder to steady her.

"You've brought me some interesting information, today." He said nonchalantly. He didn't even try to sound interested. "And your King takes care of his minions that service him well." Lana's breath caught in her throat as she felt him take hold of the shaft imbedded in her back. He smiled maliciously and licked his lips.

_'SNAP'_

The pain was even more blinding than being shot. Lana screamed, tearing her throat to shreds. She fell forward, writhing, and still yelling out. Ganondorf stood overhead and watched as he rolled the splintered wood between his fingers until it disintegrated into a blackened dust. Then, he knelt beside her.

"Come now. It's only an arrowhead," he cajoled. Lana's eyes widened. He left the arrow tip? Ganondorf laughed a booming laugh. "Oh, don't look at me like that. Consider it a sort of trophy." He placed a calloused hand on the hole that was gushing blood from the disturbance. "But we better close it up. Don't want you bleeding out now, right?" He squeezed his hand and a burning sensation took over Lana's entire being. If she could have screamed louder she would have but all that escaped her was an ugly sputtering as she gripped the brickwork beneath her. He was cauterizing the skin so that it closed up over the arrowhead. Finished with his work, he brushed his hands clean of charred skin and pushed off of his knee into a standing position. He looked upon her lying in filth indifferently. Then his lip turned into a leer. "I'm impressed that you haven't passed out yet." His voice became quiet and stern for his next words. "You still have unfinished business, Shadow. You had better not show your putrid face to me until at least one of the Hero's companions is dead."

He awaited an answer from her but all he received was incoherent whimpering.

"I'll take that as compliance," he waved a hand back at her as he walked out of the room. Her gross sobbing followed him well down the spiral stairs of the tower he descended.

Not within Lana's presence any longer, he dropped his previous demeanor and snarled out loud. He brought a hand up to his face to inspect it. The light arrow had left its mark in the shape of a thin gash across his palm. It made him feel disgusted. Though it wasn't any worse than the scars he had from his fight with the Hero of Tim, he felt the need to purge. He made a fist and his hand was suddenly coated in what looked like black flames. The licked around his closed hand for a moment, then died away. Opening his palm, he saw the mark had vanished and hummed in satisfaction.

He was far enough away to be unable to hear Lana. What a worthless creature. She could not accomplish one simple task. He was beginning to forget why he recruited her in the first place. Her uncanny ability to perfectly copy another individuals appearance was a fetching attribute, but not if the rest of her was made up of in incompetence. The arrowhead was a reminder to her that she needed to get her act together. The light energy would eventually fade, but she would have to deal with the pain until then.

For now, he would send her after the Hero's trio, not believing she would actually fulfill her duties, but as a distraction for his enemies. He needed more time to recuperate from his time in the Sacred Realm. He was also getting more desperate in his search for the Triforce piece of Wisdom. He knew the Sages also searched, and they had the unfortunate advantage of being able to cover more ground than he.

Then, there was this new development. The 'not full blooded Gerudo' traipsing around with the hero. He frowned in disappoint. He hadn't given that girl any thought in years. Since she had been a child and of no use to him. Now look at what happened to his little 'project'. His neglect had caused it to sour. He 'tch'ed out loud in annoyance. He supposed her place in his plans had expired and there weren't many other options. She would need to be eradicated.

That thought would have to wait. She did not pose as much of a serious threat as the mage did. He would have to go first.

He sneered to himself in the darkness.

0000

The storm had arrived during the wee hours of the night, the only one awake in the village to appreciate it being Marickiya. She listened to the pattering of rain on the roof above her and it was soothing. She sat up on her stomach and was surrounded by paper notes, her book, and a dimly lit lantern.  
>She had awoken not long before. In her irritated mood at Link the day before, she had gone to sleep about midday seeing as she couldn't do much of anything else with her injury. She slept through the afternoon and wasn't able to sleep during the night. She was perfectly fine with that as she got to hear the rain and work on her book in peace. It was helping her unwind from the day's events.<p>

A roll of thunder shook the windows and Mari looked up at them. Something grabbed her attention away from the water stricken window, though. Her breath caught in her throat as worry crept through her. Still as she could be, she scanned the dark depths below the loft. There, by the front door! Mari could feel herself beginning to sweat. A faintly glowing orb was floating on the left side of the room. Before she could alert anyone, she heard a soft voice.

"Is everything alright?" It had been Vaati's voice. She froze and stared directly at the orb. A ridiculous notion occurred to her.

"Vaati?" She asked hesitantly. He hummed in response. "Could you... could you close your eyes for me?" She felt exceptionally foolish and knew she must look the part. Regardless, the man complied and the orb disappeared. She breathed out shakily and wanted to bust up laughing.

"You're eyes are glowing," she said with relief. She giggled when she saw the glowing eye squint, meaning he was scowling at her in the dark.

"I do that." He said blandly.

The eye disappeared again and there was a gentle rustling and breeze. Before Mari could blink, Vaati materialized from the shadows and alit delicately on the edge of the loft. Without a word, he took a seat beside the girl and leaned against the wall.

"Are you unable to sleep?" he asked. Mari gathered back her wits. You would think she'd get used to all the magic being performed around her on a daily basis. She shook her head.

"No. I actually took a rather long nap earlier." She chuckled. "What about you?" He also shook his head.

"I usually do not sleep during storms." A sly grin crept onto Mari's face.

"Are you afraid of thunder?" She thought there may have been a bit too much glee behind her words for Vaati shot her another scowl. She put on a straight face to try and make it look like she was genuinely curious. He looked away towards the window where they could see lightning shine through in bursts. Without looking back he replied,

"It has always been that way." When she made no reaction he continued, "Since I was young."

She 'oh'ed lightly and distractedly went back to what she was working on. She haphazardly matched one of the symbols in her book to a word she understood in her notes. Then noticed she had written it down wrong and scratched out the mistake with her quill. She let out a light breath.

"Growing up in the desert, I never got to see storms like this. I think it's beautiful." He watched her glowing features with interest.

"That is not a term I would use to describe it." He said flatly. She turned to him.

"How would you describe it then?" As she watched him, his face was cast in shadow and she could no longer read his expression when he replied.

"Destructive."

They remained quiet for a few moments. Marickiya ached to ask about his experiences that made him hate storms, though she thought it was probably not a good time. The air was too thick to even distract herself with her translations. Even breathing felt too loud. Then, Vaati stood.

"You appear busy. I will leave you to your work." He took a step away.

"I'm sorry!" She fumbled with her words. "I didn't mean to offend you." He paused still keeping his eyes averted. After holding his position a few seconds longer, he retracted his step and stood back against the wall.

"I am... not offended." He said.

Marickiya watched him for a second. He didn't look like he wanted to talk again, but hadn't left yet. She noticed something else. He still wore the tie in his hair that kept it in a ponytail. She wouldn't say it out loud, but rather liked his hair made up that way. She caught herself staring at him and looked back down at her book.

"Why were you crying earlier?" Vaati asked.

Marickiya's eyes widened. Really, the man was so brazen. She pushed herself up off the floor and leaned against the wall as well. "Just a bad dream," She tried to make it sound off handed. Vaati slunk back down beside her, but continued to not look her in the eye.

"Do you have nightmares often?" Marickiya stared at her feet. Nearly subconsciously, she pulled her knees to her chest in a self-preserving gesture.

"Do I wake you up?" Vaati didn't need to answer her question. "I'm sorry for bothering you." She said meekly.

"There is no need to apologize." Vaati finally looked over but it was Mari's turn to avoid eye contact. "What was your dream about?" She pursed her lips, knowing the question would come.

"It wasn't a nightmare this time." She said even more quietly. He was interested in what exactly made the girl toss and turn in her sleep each night. She grit her teeth.  
>"I had a best friend in the dream." She began. Vaati looked up to give her his full attention. "I grew up with a girl back h-" she stumbled, "where I used to live. We were best friends from the first day we met. She always had my back..." She smiled warmly, momentarily lost in thought. Her face fell when she kept going. "The girl in my dream, though; I couldn't see her face. I don't know who she was, but," she was starting to feel the emotions spilling over from the dream. "I loved her more than anyone.<p>

"Something happened, and I got the chance to stand up for her. That's never happened before. I wasn't about to let anything hurt her. But then I woke up before I got the chance. I didn't get to see the end..." Her eyes had dropped to the floorboards during her explanation. She looked up abruptly and Vaati was startled to see tears glistening in the lamplight. "I miss that girl and I have no idea who she was." She quickly began wiping away the forming tears, then gave a hollow laugh. "Isn't that foolish?"

"It is most likely that you simply miss your existent friend." Vaati reasoned and after she finished wiping away the wetness on her cheeks, she nodded minutely.

"I do miss her," she conceded.

"Perhaps you can try to see her again?" Mari shook her head.

"That would be impossible. I can't ever go back." There was a long silence. "Sorry for crying on you," she choked out and wiped at the corners of her eyes.

"You do not have to apologize so much." Without really thinking about doing it, he reached up over her shoulders and brought her close to him. His mind froze in confusion at his own action.

Marickiya was also surprised by this move. Her heart beat rapidly inside her and was too shocked to continue crying. She felt the color rising in her face and thanked the goddesses there was only a single flame illuminating the scene. It was all over in a second, Vaati had let go and stood up again to take his leave.

"I really will leave you to your work, now." Then, before he leaped off of the edge of her loft, he flashed her a half smile. "Thank you, and goodnight."

"Goodnight," she said as an immediate response. It was a proverbial 'goodnight' as they both knew the other wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon.

Marickiya was conflicted. Why was she reacting this way? She didn't want to have feelings for anyone at all. It made things incredibly complicated. At the same, she yearned for the mage to come back and keep taking to her until the sun rose. Why, oh why did he have to be so kind and quirky and sensitive? It took her several moments to calm herself again. Every time a thought of Vaati crossed her mind, her stomach would do flips. She got back to working on deciphering her book to keep busy.

...

Several hours later, the storm had quieted. There was no longer thunder and lightning, just a simple shower. If Mari listened closely, she could discern the deep sighs of two sleeping men downstairs.

Marickiya dropped her quill and reread the line she'd just written several times over, excitement welling up within her. She gasped aloud and a shout was on her tongue, but she bit it back. The guys deserved to sleep. She wouldn't be able to, however. Her mind was as alert as if she were in battle. One thought was repeated over and over, making it difficult to remain quiet.

She knew where the Triforce piece of Wisdom was.


	11. Chapter 11

Vaati awoke the next morning to darkness. Not due to the hour, he noted, but because of the near black clouds that hung low in the sky, threatening another downpour.

'Rain' he thought wistfully. As a child, the very mention of it instilled fear. He lived in such a way that rain was as dangerous as a sword being thrust into ones face. It still ingrained in him an irreversible fear that he knew now was irrational. Or maybe it was a feeling of uneasiness that came from elsewhere. He shook it off.

The rhythmic patter above him signaled it was beginning to pour from the heavens. Where he grew up in fear, he mused, Marickiya grew up in wonder. She, having lived in a desert all her life, had not been presented with the inclement weather. He counted her lucky that she didn't have to go through what he did.

He looked above him towards the loft where she slept and noticed her presence was absent from the room. She wasn't in the house or within the vicinity at all. He hummed quietly.

Perhaps she went out to ride her horse in the rain. It wouldn't be unlike her to wander around the village or just outside it. The thought passed and he resumed his morning ritual despite the sleepy feeling he still had.

He walked over to the window where the water basin lay in wait. He dipped his pale hands into the coolness to wet them and cupped them around his face to wash away any traces of sleep that still lingered. When he pulled his palms away he let out a contented sigh. Rubbing at his eyes, he wiped away the remaining water droplets, took in a deep refreshing breath and glanced around.

There was something unsettling that dwelt on Vaati's heart and he wished he could pinpoint what was causing it.

Link walked in, removing his hood from his cloak that protected him from getting too wet. He looked up and spotted Vaati. Their eyes locked for the briefest of moments. Then Link tore his eyes from Vaati's with no hint of cynicism, though Vaati knew it was there. Link hid it well, but Vaati knew that he would never trust him. The hero only endured his presence for Mari. Link dropped off his bags and cloak at his bedside and began rummaging through one of the bags he had brought in. He started to pull out groceries and placed them onto the counter where they usually prepared food. He looked up at the loft.

"Have you seen Mari?" He asked as he turned his gaze back to the mage.

"No," Vaati replied, "I just woke up."

"Late start?" Link asked almost awkwardly. He was trying to converse idly with Vaati but it was like he felt uncomfortable being in the same room with him. It was equally as awkward for him.

"I-is it that late in the morning?" Vaati sputtered unintentionally. He cleared his throat and tried gathering his thoughts.

"No, I suppose not," Link trailed off. He turned away and continued working on random chores in their loft. "I didn't see her when I got up. I thought she would have returned by now." He stated simply, looking away.

"Do you think we should look for her?" Vaati asked quietly. Link looked up and gathered in the mage's near sheepish features.

"She's probably just on a roof somewhere watching the rain. I don't think we need to worry." Vaati let out a breath. He wished Mari would return so it wasn't so stifling being in the same room as Link.

For a while, things went on uneventfully. Link, to keep his mind off of the growing threat that was Ganondorf and his inability to take immediate action, cleaned and worked on other tasks that needed to be seen to around the house. Vaati worked on revising spells and all other things related to practicing magic. It was relatively quiet and still awkward while Mari wasn't around.

Imagine his delight when the door opened and a dark skinned girl with short hair entered the room. Link said his hello with a wave and she smiled cheerily at him. Vaati however, did not offer a greeting.

There was something different about her. Something was off. Her scent, her aura, was nothing like what he was accustomed to. It was like she was a completely different person. He watched her as she moved about the room. It wasn't threatening, just off.

"Man, I'm soaked. It's coming down like nothing I've ever seen before," she said. Disapproval laced her voice. Still, neither of these characteristics was suspicious enough to be wary. It wasn't like he sensed any darkness from her.

Something glinted at her throat he noticed, as it moved with her speech. A leather cord hung around her neck and disappeared into her shirt. Marickiya didn't own any necklaces to his knowledge. No, it wasn't the obvious change in her very essence that threw him off. His stomach dropped when he realized why the cord looked so familiar to him.

His body seemed to act before his thought's fully caught up to the situation. He literally flew across the room using his wind magic both to propel him and to separate Mari from Link. There was a thick 'thud' as he threw the girl against the wall and held her there with a thin sword at her throat.

"What in the hell are you doing?!" Link screamed as he picked himself up off the floor. He had pure hatred plastered all over his face. Vaati, for the moment, ignored him and threw a barrier in between himself and the raging Hylian.

"So nice to see you again," Vaati said with sarcasm dripping in his tones. The girl beneath his grip merely gave him a fierce scowl as she winced at the grip he had on her throat. Link was banging against the barrier between himself and his two companions, still yelling at Vaati to stop. He quickly realized this tactic was doing nothing productive and elected to watch helplessly, his ferocity quickly growing.

"You had so much to say before." Vaati jeered, "Why so tight lipped?" Getting nothing out of her, he jumped right to the point. "You know, you almost had me," his sword disappeared from his hand with a lazy flick of his wrist. "You masked your magic well. If it weren't for one small slip up…" his fingers traced the cord around her neck.

She gasped as he pulled a beetle-like pendant from out of her shirt.

"I will be taking this back now." He untied the leather behind her neck and pocketed his belonging. "Now that you are here at my mercy…" his taunting demeanor dropped as the girl began to giggle. Her form began to smoke around the edges. Her giggling grew in intensity until it was full on laughter as her frame shifted, changing her features to reveal who she truly was; Lana.

"You are a tricky one, aren't you?" She continued to giggle even though Vaati put more pressure on her neck. "Too bad _she_ wasn't so clever." Both Link and Vaati's faces fell into dismay at the revelation of her words.

"What did you do?" Vaati thrust her against the wall again. She yelped in pain, but he held her fast. "Where is she?!" he yelled but it was too late.

"You'll never find her." And as quick as a bolt of lightning, she melted into the shadows behind her leaving only the imprint of her gleaming red eyes in his retinas and a ghost of a chuckle at the edge of the subconscious.

Vaati stood in silence for a moment. He let down the barrier and was about to turn around to address the situation when a fist came from nowhere and collided with his face sending him to the wall, and knocking over a nightstand. Little lights danced in his eyes as he tried regaining his balance and head. Holding the wall for support, he turned to Link, his attacker.

"You let her go!" Link said fuming. Vaati was a little surprised by Link's reaction.

"As if I could stop her," he said with little more than irritation on his tongue. He could taste blood. Link was spluttering for words to say. "Look, Link, I fully acknowledge your disapproval of me but right now is really not the time to be exploiting it." Vaati paused after this statement. Link still looked like he was ready to fly off the handle again. "You can hit me all you want later after we've found her."

Link held his fists tightly.

"Deal?"

Link looked up with resentment in his eyes, but there also, was agreement. He headed for the door, not bothering to pick up his cloak, and walked out without closing it. Vaati was alone in the room as the raindrops beat hard in the entryway.

0000

It was a struggle regaining consciousness. Marickiya had no sense of being and for a moment was afraid she had somehow died. But it didn't make sense to her. Nothing did.

'_Where am I?'_ She thought to herself. She could think and she could definitely feel for there was a dull aching somewhere near her forehead. Had something hit her? She couldn't remember. Taking slow breaths as she started to completely awaken, she noticed those breaths were fairly laborious to take. She felt light headed. Deciding she should try out her normal functions to see what worked and what didn't, she opened her eyes. When she did, it was like they were still closed. Everything around her was pitch black. She tried turning her head to the sides of her and the small movement made her groan involuntarily. Her neck was sore, from what she had not a clue. She reached up in an attempt to see if she could maneuver through the darkness, but there was something very close to her that obstructed her movement. More confusion settled into her mind along with anxiousness. She moved her hands around to one side and found another obstruction. She felt slightly nauseated as a small notion seeped into her thoughts. To confirm her theory, she gently moved her hands to the other side. Another wall. To the top. Another wall. She reached with her feet towards the bottom of the enclosure and there was yet another wall.

She was trapped in a box.

Her breathing quickened at this new frightening revelation. After a moment of frantic thoughts, a voice of reason wedged itself into the midst of them. If she was trapped and she was already short of breath, then breathing even harder from anxiety would definitely not help her situation. She forced her thoughts to disperse and concentrated on slowing her airflow. Another wave of nausea washed over her.  
><em>'This is bad,'<em> she thought to herself. She had no clue where she was or where Link and Vaati were or if they even knew she was missing. She tried remembering how she could have possibly gotten herself into this predicament but could come up with nothing. The last thing she remembered was waiting for the guys to wake up she could tell them what she found out in the night. Getting impatient with that, she went up to her usual place to watch it rain on the town. She didn't know how long she had been unconscious. She wasn't even sure if it was the same day as the last moment she remembered.

Everything felt extremely too close to her and she just wanted to curl up into herself to become smaller. She placed her palms on the top of her enclosed space and pushed. It didn't budge at all. It was suffocating how quiet it was. Fear, again, crept into her thoughts and a tear rolled unchecked down her temple and into her hair. She had another fit she had to force down in order to conserve her limited air. What in all hell was happening?

0000

Rain poured down even harder as Link rushed out of the house toward the stables. To Link, it was mocking him.

He knew it had been completely inappropriate of him to strike Vaati. It wasn't the mage's fault that Mari had been ambushed by their assassin. He knew Lana was after them, Mari especially for whatever reason, and should have been better prepared. They should have stuck closer together. He partially wanted to blame Mari for not being alert. But he had no idea what happened. He couldn't blame her, he told himself.

As he neared the entrance to Kakariko, shouts pervaded through the rain. There was another sound. Clashing metal.

He changed directions and sprinted toward the entryway where the commotion was coming from. Upon his arrival, he saw the backs of many village men gathered under the arched entrance. One of the men waved him over and he approached.

"You're quick to arrive," the man said as he hid behind a makeshift shelter.

"What's going on?" Link asked.

"We're under attack. Moblins, Stalfos, Lizalfos, you name it, it's down there," he thumbed in the direction of the bottom of the stairs. Link peered over the edge of their cover at the thronging monsters below. They had created a sort of blockade to keep them from getting too far up the stairway. "It only just started. One of our men caught sight of them before it started raining and we were able to fortify the entrances a bit before they got here," he said and watched Link pull out his new bow he bought the day before and started taking out some of the enemies trying to climb the pile of debris barring their advance.

"Have you seen Marickiya?" Link said as a barrage of arrows came sailing up towards them and they took cover.

"No, sir." The man replied. "Why, is something wrong?"

"She's missing. I believe this attack is apart of it." Link's face darkened. The man grasped his shoulder.

"We've got this here, man." They looked into each others' determined faces and Link nodded.

After a wave of arrows passed, he got up and ran back to the village. There were people milling about in confusion and Link was stopped by a man he recognized as the potions shop owner.

"What's happening?" He asked of Link.

"The village is under attack. Gather the remaining men. Find as many bows and arrows and bring them to the village entrance." The man nodded and jogged off to begin his mission.

Now Link could begin his search for Marickiya. Where would he start? He thought hard about what Lana had said when she'd been caught.

_'You'll never find her.' 'Too bad _she _wasn't so clever.' _He did not want to think about that last sentence. She made it sound like Mari was already...

No! He had to focus. Oh how he wished he hadn't been so irritated at her yesterday.

He ran between houses knowing it was fruitless. From what it looked like, Marickiya was either dead or captured. She wouldn't be in the village if it was the latter. He had to believe she was alive though. He would not accept the only other truth.

"Marickiya!"

0000

Vaati sat in a meditative pose with his eyes closed. He hadn't even bothered to close the door that Link had stormed out of. He was concentrating on pinning down Mari's consciousness.

He couldn't feel her up until a few moments ago. He had begun his search as soon as Link had left and at first there was nothing. Then, she was there suddenly. Close by, even. That both relieved him and unsettled him. Her entire being was shrouded in fear.

Forcing his worry aside, he noticed something. There was some kind of huge physical blockage that was keeping him from finding her immediately. He couldn't even tell what the blockage was or where it even came from. He took a guess that maybe Lana's lingering presence that had initially thrown him off had something to do with it. Whatever it was, it wasn't dissipating.

He kept her consciousness locked and pushed it to the side for a moment while he searched for Link. He was incredibly easy to find, running frantically around the village, dodging people and shouting Mari's name. He was a bit surprised at how quickly he was able to find him when it was so tedious to locate Mari. He pushed Link out of his mind and refocused on Mari. She was still as elusive as ever. He became irritated.

Something else demanded to be noticed. A gathering at the fore of the town. And it wasn't just townspeople. He saw a massive horde of monsters congregating at the foot of the stairs trying to force their way in. Well that was unnerving. He would not be convinced that Marickiya's disappearance and the situation at the entrance were unrelated.

"Marickiya, where are you?" he said quietly to himself. He felt exceptionally stupid for letting this happen practically right in front of him. He knew Lana's intentions towards Mari, he should have been more careful. But this occurrence was becoming increasingly common. Too often did he let his guard down around this girl. He should know better. After all he'd been through and everything he'd done, he shouldn't fall to these weaknesses. The usual guilt began to set in on his thoughts. But he wouldn't be distracted from his search just yet. He could brood later.

He thought to spread out his senses a bit more. He closed off immediate senses such as hearing and smell and touch, and used their energies towards fanning out a more broad layer of himself over the village. He could see every person in the village preparing for the oncoming attack. There was something at the entrance to Death Mountain Trail that caught his attention. There was some amount of disquiet coming from the gate and he noticed another white silhouette, large in girth and short in stature. It definitely wasn't Mari, so he put it aside in his mind for the moment.

As he was retreating back to his body, something else distracted him. He turned to look in the direction of the thing and his breath caught. There was a swirling void-like entity looming on one side of the village near the windmill. He had no idea what to make of it. The deep blackness troubled him.

Back in his right mind again, he got up and headed for the door. He looked around at the bustling village that he could see, then glided up to the roof of the house. He could easily sense the strange void now that he knew it was there. It didn't make much sense to him. It came from just outside the village wall. There was an archway that led to it.

He had a sudden feeling of uneasiness.

'_I really hope that has nothing to do with Marickiya,' _he thought, disheartened.

0000

Mari let out an aggravated snarl as the top of her tiny prison would absolutely not budge no matter how hard she pushed or beat at it. She imagined her hands must be bloodied pretty bad if the stinging was anything to go off of. The pressed in air felt even more close to her. The panic of being in the tight space was starting to settle in on her no matter how hard she tried to push it down. She didn't know how long she had been in this box or how long she would have to remain in it.

'_You're completely worthless.'_

That had started a few moments ago as well. There was a criticizing voice in the back of her mind that berated her incessantly. She chose to ignore it for the moment.

'_You may as well just die here. No one would care.'_

Gritting her teeth, she started pushing against the topmost wall again. She gathered that there was something very heavy on top of it that was keeping it from moving easily.

"What the hell?!" she strained to push with all she had. It wouldn't give. As another wave of panic and nausea shot through her, she screamed out and started banging on the walls. "Let me out!" she didn't think anyone would hear her. The response of silence made that clear. Tears streamed down her face and she choked from the lack of oxygen.

'_It's pointless. No selfishly saving yourself this time.' _

She stopped abruptly as a realization hit her. She realized who's voice it was that she was imagining.

'_Who says you're imagining me?'_ A sickening memory flooded her thoughts.

She had been wandering the village in the rain. Something was leading her to the back where no one seemed to approach. It led her through an archway, naturally made into the rock wall. There, she found a graveyard. She had been wandering the rows of neatly placed tombstones when she heard a voice. She turned around and saw-

"NO!" she shouted. "NO NO NO!" She was hyper-ventilating and slamming her whole body around in an attempt to escape. The one who she had met in the cemetery; her face lingered in her visage as if it had been burned permanently into her eyes. She was completely overtaken by fear. She had lost all reason and sense of calm. It was only a matter of time before she used up all her air. She began to sob.

"H-help me…"

0000

Link's search brought him to the stables. Quickly seeing that what he sought wasn't there, he attempted to leave, but a horse whiny brought him back.

Epona stared at him with curious eyes and snorted in his direction. He thought it weird that Epona would make such a sound. She was usually so well mannered. Then he looked past her and made the realization that it hadn't been Epona he'd heard.

Trysting was acting very strange. He pawed at the gated enclosure and tugged at his reins that were tied down. Link stared for a moment, then on a whim, untied him and led him outside.

The horse acted even stranger once outside the stable. He would take off in one direction and stare determinedly, then shake his head brusquely and paw at the ground. He did this several times in different directions. Link could feel that he sensed something was wrong.

The horse was becoming more agitated and was kicking up the dirt. With all the people running around, Link thought it better to tie him down to keep him at the stable. On his way out, he looked back to see Trysting staring at him with sad eyes.

Link turned towards his house and watched as Vaati, using magic, drifted up to the roof. At that moment, he felt shameful for the way he acted towards the mage. He knew very well that he cared for Marickiya. He knew they cared for each other no matter how much he hated to see it. He wasn't about to step all over that either. He also cared for her and respected her too much to do anything like that. Still, he had overreacted and lashed out at Vaati.

He could see Mari in his mind's eye.

"_Why did you do that?" _she said to him with her illusory hands on her hips. "_You need to go apologize."_ He smiled to himself.

"I know," and with that he made his way over to him.

As he got close he saw Vaati staring off in the direction of the graveyard. When he reached the top steps to their miniature courtyard, Vaati turned and saw him. He drew near the edge and jumped down. His tied back hair was all mottled and plastered to his face and his soaked black tunic stuck to his frame. Link thought he probably didn't look much better.

"Have you found anything yet?" he asked of him. Vaati solemnly shook his head.

"I have been searching for her using magical means and the only thing I've been able to find out is that she's nearby, but I don't know where exactly."

"She's still in the village." Link repeated to himself as a way to reassure himself. He noticed there was a thin line of blood still caked down his chin. "Listen, Vaati. I'm sorry for reacting like I did before."

Vaati looked a bit surprised for a split second. It had come and gone so fast, Link could have easily mistaken that it had even happened.

"Do not worry about it," he unconsciously wiped at his lip with the heel of his hand. "I understand your worry. We _will_ find her." He reassured. Then he looked downcast, "I should have told you what I was doing. Right away I should have warned that it was Lana," Link only replied with a somewhat comforting hand on his shoulder and a fierce look of determination.

Vaati had a sudden sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was still connected to Mari and she was starting to cave in to fear. Her anxiety was heightened in that moment and he could feel it.

"We should keep looking," Link suggested. He noticed the pained look in Vaati's eyes before he said this. The mage pursed his lips and clenched his jaw tight to keep the nausea that Mari was feeling quelled. He could only nod in agreement.

Link said he had already asked around and no one had seen anything. They agreed that they needed to widen the search. Every few minutes, Mari's panicked state would peak and Vaati would feel a little weak for a second. This sense that he could feel her but not know where she was hidden was driving him mad. It was like she was nowhere but at the same time everywhere at once. They weren't making any headway on asking the villagers, so Vaati suggested Death Mountain Trail.

"I felt something up there earlier. I don't know what it was though."

"Alright, let's check up there then."

They neared the gate and saw movement. When they were close enough, it was revealed that a Goron was building some sort of makeshift wall. He looked up from his work when he noticed them.

"Link, brother," he said excitedly, "What's happening?" Upon seeing their grim expressions he added, "Nothing good, looks like."

"There's a mass of monsters attacking the village and we're missing a friend of ours," he said as the Goron straightened up to his full height which was only a few inches taller than himself. "Have you seen a woman around here? She's a little shorter than me with short hair," Link began but the Goron was shaking his head.

"I'm sorry I haven't seen anyone around and I've been at this gate since last night." He indicated his wall he was making, "Since it's been raining so much, we feared there could be a mudslide. I think my work is pretty much done here, though. I'll go up to the city and see about getting you guys some back up." He gave him a thumbs up and Link nodded.

"Thanks."

"Anything for a brother," and with that, the Goron scaled his rocky wall and rolled up the muddy path.

He turned back to Vaati who hadn't been paying attention to the conversation and was staring off towards the graveyard again. "Can you sense something?"

Vaati shook his head. "I cannot tell. Nothing to do with Mari, I do not think. There is just something…_dark_." He turned to face Link, "Do you know what is over there?" It was a bit off-putting when Link's expression darkened slightly at his question.

"Over there is the graveyard and beyond it, the Shadow Temple." His ears perked at this. "Do you think it's possible she could be there?"

It took a second for Link's question to register in Vaati's thoughts. He had been thinking about what could possibly be lurking in a graveyard and temple of shadows that could meddle with his senses. He nodded slowly.

"It is... possible," he said. Without a word, Link started to make his way over to the graveyard. Vaati got another uneasy feeling that, for once, wasn't connected to Mari.

The two hurried over to the opening in the wall that made Vaati so nervous. The short path ended at another archway. The graveyard seemed pretty harmless at first glance. He looked up as Link gestured towards a fenced off alcove sitting just above the largest head stone.

That was what was interfering with Vaati's magic. It was teeming with darkness and the longer he stared, the more his stomach knotted. They kept moving towards the alcove, then stopped and stared up at the fence.

"Come on, then," Link urged. He didn't seem too happy about entering either.

"Right," Vaati swallowed, then grabbed Link's forearm and leapt entirely over the fence. With a light landing, they started down the stairs that led to the underground temple. The further they traversed, the darker and quieter it became.

Vaati was beginning to feel quite dizzy when they came upon a circular room full of lit torches. An open doorway was just beyond it. He followed Link as he passed the torch room and walked down the hallway that was through the door. Vaati's head swam and he teetered for a moment, bumping into Link.

"Sorry," he said as he held his head with one hand. Link grabbed him as he fell towards the ground. Voices were whispering in his ears harshly, telling him to leave or die.

"What's wrong?" Link asked as he struggled to hold up the mage.

"The spirits in here, they are…" he groaned as a wave of sickness washed over him. All of his senses were snuffed out. He was no longer connected to Mari's consciousness; he couldn't even sense Link when he was standing right next to him. "Link, she is not here," he said.

"How do you know for sure?" Link asked worriedly as he started to half drag the mage back towards the exit.

"When we were outside, I could sense her," he didn't think he could say much more with his head spinning as much as it was, but he noticed Link's hesitation. "This place is blocking my senses. If she were in here, then I do not think I would be able to sense her at all"

They walked back towards the top of the stairs and the fenced area. Vaati's head began to clear just as soon as the rain started pelting the top of his head again. He took several gulps of fresh air to steady himself. Then pulled himself upright.

"Sorry about that." He said. Link looked on in wonder.

"Why does it affect you so much?" he said. Vaati thought for a moment.

"Sorcerers are more sensitive to the will of a spirit," he said as he pulled his hair back that had fallen in front of his face, "And there are a great number of angry spirits here." He was still a bit shaken just from entering the temple. Link looked somber.

"I've had to visit this place before. I knew about the spirits. I should've warned you." He said. Vaati waved a quavering hand at him.

"It is fine." Now that they were back outside, he could feel Mari again. Though her presence had faded from what it was before. That concerned him.

"Alright." Link looked pensive for a second, "If she isn't here, then where is she?"

Vaati shook his head. "I do not know." How he hated not knowing.

They leapt back over the fence and were heading back to Kakariko when it happened.

A vision of Mari flashed right in front of him. She was screaming. He yelled out in surprise and tumbled into Link again. He fell to his knees as he blacked out momentarily.

"What is it? The spirits-?"

"No," he said as he started to come to. He stared at the wet blades of grass between his fingers. "No," he slowly got up. He looked at Link with a confused expression. He waited another moment before taking a few steps towards the exit. Link followed suit.

"_Vaati!"_

He whipped around searching the area frantically and finding nothing. Link had walked ahead a little before noticing his companion had stopped again. He was getting a little agitated from it.

"What is it?" he asked keeping the irritation out of his voice. He said something he couldn't hear. "I didn't catch-" Vaati turned abruptly.

"She's here." He said. Link looked bewildered. "She… she is in one of the graves."

"What?" Link was aghast and took a look at the surrounding graves. There were no bothered graves in the cemetery at all. Vaati began to walk the rows. He opened all of the senses taught to him, magic and natural, not caring how painful it was to have every single one exposed to an onslaught of chaotic elements. He searched desperately with Link behind him, blind. He walked past one and felt another kick of Mari's consciousness. He was closing in on her. He ran to the end of the last row and the second to last grave stood unmarked and solitary in his vision. He dropped to his knees and placed his palms upon the wet grass and mud. He put his ear to the ground and heard a series of weak thumps that made his heart trill.

"She's here," he said again. He pushed Link back before he could begin jumping onto the mound of soil atop Mari and prepared an erosion spell. He closed his eyes and intertwined his fingers over the side of the grave and then with a mighty push, began blowing great chunks of earth away from their quarry. It took a matter of seconds before he had finished his work but then something hit him.

He was no longer connected to Mari's consciousness…

Fear creeping into his frantic thoughts, he jumped down into his hole he had made and uncovered an old coffin. With a tug, he wrenched the lid open.

Mari was indeed in the coffin, but she was as still and silent as the dead. The image sickened Vaati.

"Marickiya!" Link shouted as he slid down the length of earth and joined Vaati next to the half Gerudo. "Mari?" he yelled in anguish as he grasped her shoulder. She remained motionless. He put his palm on her neck. "Dammit," he whispered through a choke.

"Hold on," Vaati said. He knew he was shot at healing spells. He went through his list of spells. The problem was she needed to be awake. Maybe shocked awake.

Vaati set to work immediately. He didn't know if this would work but he was willing to try just about anything. He used his wind sorcery to dry them all off. Easy. Then he threw an elemental barrier around them to keep them dry. Now the hard part. Link looked on with doubt, curiosity, and worry all etched in the lines of his face which looked more pronounced than usual. He lifted Mari's shirt up and placed a hand just under her left breast. Then he placed his other hand on her right shoulder. He closed his eyes and readied a charge.

"What are you doing?" Link asked just as Vaati let an electric volt course through Mari's torso between his hands and her body surged upward. Link gasped, clearly in a panic.

"It's alright," Vaati told him as he readied another bolt of electricity. The second one was more successful than the first. Mari coughed and sputtered for a second then was still again. Vaati let one more volt loose and Mari was then coughing more vigorously. Link looked on, beside himself with anxiety, but let Vaati work.

Mari's breathing had settled finally. Vaati took his hands off of her chest and placed a hand on her forehead. She was unconscious but breathing normally. She was saved. He let out a shaky breath. He fell back in relief and exhaustion. His barrier fell around them along with splashing raindrops. Link leaned down into the pit and checked Mari over. She was covered in insects, dirt, and blood. He tried to clean her off as much as he could. They needed to get her to the house.

Link pulled her prone form up and out of the dirt and positioned her legs where he could get his arm under and around them to hoist her up. Vaati helped to pick them up out of the grave, not bothering to recover it.

They rushed out of the cemetery. Before they could make it to their house, they were met with a discouraging sight. The monsters had broken free of the barricade and were pouring into the village. The men couldn't hold them off as too many were injured. The women and children of those who fought were yelling for their loved ones. Everything was in chaos.

"Link," Vaati said quietly. Link looked over to see pure malice lining his face. "Get everyone back." Before he walked off in the direction of the oncoming horde, he could have sworn he saw Vaati's eye glowing a deep crimson.

Still carrying Marickiya's prone form, he started yelling for everyone to get back to safety. He called out to fall back, screaming it as loud as he could. Soon, everyone was retreating and Vaati was the only one on the front lines.

"What's he doing?" The man who had first informed Link of the situation had sidled up to Link with a worried expression. Link didn't have to answer his question.

There was a gust of wind that rushed toward the mage and formed a protective barrier around him sending his clothes and hair flapping. Then Vaati raised an arm and the wind was directed at the enemy. Dirt and other debris were picked up and suddenly there was a controlled cyclone in between the high walls picking up moblins and dismantling skeleton fighters. The whistling was almost unbearable. People were backing up even more, some running indoors for shelter.

To top it all off, Vaati brought his hand back down into a fist and blinding bolts of lightning began to dance through the opaque wind tunnel. They heard cries of pain for a few moments, then there was nothing. Vaati dropped his hand and the winds started to die out. There was nothing that remained of the enemy army. The man gawked at Link's side.

"I'm sure glad he's on our side." He stated and for once, Link agreed.


	12. Chapter 12

Waking Delerium

Day 1.

After ridding the village of the threat of enemy assailants, most everyone had retreated to their houses as the storm had picked up again. Some of the men were still outside clearing up debris and keeping watch to see if any more monsters decided to visit.

Link and Vaati had pulled back to their house with Mari who was still out cold. They laid her out on Vaati's bed to keep an eye on her. Link was the one who cleaned her bloodied knuckles and the mud off of her face. The two hadn't spoken since Vaati's outburst.

Speaking of the mage, Link turned to look over at him. After unleashing his magic on the monsters, he had fallen to his knees in an exhausted heap. He had been helped inside by some of the villagers that were brave enough to approach him. After setting down Mari, Link grabbed a blanket and handed it to Vaati, who took it wordlessly. He looked paler than usual and was soaked to the bone. Link went back to Mari and for a while hadn't heard anything from him. No words or even movement, though when he looked over he saw that he was sitting at the bottom of the stairs facing him and Mari with the blanket draped over his shoulders. He just stared ahead, unseeingly, with his arms resting on his knees clutching the covers. Link wasn't sure if he was simply tired or if there was something else going on in his head, and wasn't confident enough in their 'relationship' to ask him about it.

He wanted to thank him for what he had done to save the townsfolk earlier and he was sure everyone else felt thankful for him as well. He wanted to talk to him, but by the looks of him, Vaati wasn't in a chatting mood. He would have to do it later. He switched his attention back to Marickiya.

Though she appeared fine now, the fact that she wasn't awake distressed him. He had definitely felt no heartbeat when he checked her over at the grave site. Whatever Vaati had done had brought it back but Link had never seen anything like that done before. It was amazing. At the same time, though, he wondered if it had something to do with why she would not open her eyes now.

She had gone through quite and ordeal and he understood that she needed to rest. All he could do was wait.

...

Vaati felt cold. It pierced every inch of his skin and nothing he did could warm him. He was vulnerable in many ways. If they were to be attacked, he was unsure if he would even be able to defend himself. That frightened him.

He had overdone it. The power he displayed was just about as powerful as he got without seriously hurting himself. He felt weak. Even Link had noticed. He kept glancing back at him with a concerned expression that was unbecoming of him. He never cared before, why would he suddenly begin? It probably had something to do with the outburst of magic he had. He couldn't decide if he believed Link was afraid of him, or thankful for what happened. He settled on deciding what he thought later.

He wasn't just physically vulnerable, his emotions were running rampant in his weakened state. Something had rattled him severely.

Marickiya had died. She had been utterly lifeless. And he had been connected to her when it happened. Remembering it chilled him. It felt as if an icy blade was slowly penetrating him through his chest.

If he hadn't managed to kick start her heart into beating again, he would have been haunted by her stillness for the rest of his life. It was already agony for him and he guessed it would stay that way until she opened her eyes again.

Night fell without missing a beat. Marickiya hadn't stirred once. He thought someone had stopped by to offer food. He had barely noticed until Link set a bowl of some warm liquid next to him, still without speaking. It was several more hours of darkness before any words were spoken. Link's head was nodding as he sat back in his chair with his arms crossed. Vaati stood, his legs felt like they were made of lead. It was such a struggle to make them carry him over to the Hylian. He walked up quietly and placed a hand on Link's shoulder to rouse him. Link started, his eyes opened and stared at Mari with the same blank expression he imagined he himself bore earlier.

"I will watch over her, Link. You can sleep if you need to." All he received as a response was a bleary nod, then he ambled off to his bed and plopped down on top of the covers.

Thunder rolled through the sky outside to go with Link's soft snoring. It would have been another sleepless night anyway.

Day 2.

The storm had let up, but in its wake was left annoyingly dull clouds that hung tauntingly low. The very air would stick to the skin.

Vaati's mood hadn't lightened in the slightest during the night, even with the storm's absence. His body hadn't yet fully recovered from the day before, and was still feeling weakened. That coupled with the fact that he was going on about two days with a very minimal amount of sleep put him in a very sour mood.

Link had gotten up just as the sun was shining its first light of the day, not looking rested at all. He approached the mage and Mari and with a look, asked of her condition. Vaati gave a small shake of his head.

"Do you want me to take over watch?" Link asked. For a reason unknown to him, Vaati felt the pit of his stomach burn. Memories of Link belittling him, looking down on him, punching him, were all that went through his mind. Without showing it, he shook his head again.

"No. I will stay." He said finitely. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Link stiffen for a moment, then he walked to the kitchen table and took a seat.

Throughout the day, Link tried making small conversation. Vaati knew he was feeling very uncomfortable about the situation they were in, but he just couldn't contribute anything worthwhile to the exchanges. He would either give very curt replies or just hum to show he was listening. Link, at least two or three more times, suggested Vaati take a break, which caused that fire to flare in his chest. After continually declining out loud, he just stopped responding to Link's propositions entirely.

By mid afternoon, they were very much sick of each others presence, even more so than before.

"Would you just stop?" Vaati snapped when Link said something about him needing sleep. He blinked a few times then looked aggravated.

"Stop what?" This riled the mage even more.

"Stop being so concerned with my well-being. It is unnecessary." Vaati attempted to go back to brooding with his arms crossed, but Link wasn't finished.

"All I am saying is that you have not slept since yesterday and there's no need to be pushing yourself." Vaati clenched a fist that held the blanket around his shoulders.

"I do not need your sympathy."

Vaati jumped, his heart racing, when Link slammed his fists on the table.

"Your brooding is starting to piss me off! It isn't doing anything to help," Link shouted at the sorcerer's back.

"And you believe yelling at me is helping?" Vaati still refused to turn around. Link walked over to him and lowered his voice.

"What's really bothering you?" It wasn't a concerned question, he was just curious. Vaati wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Nothing bothers me." The Hylian rolled his eyes.

"Do you think I believe that? Because I don't." Link crossed his arms and stared determinedly at his concealed face. "Judging from your regular attitude, she's one of the only friend's you have right now and I think you blame yourself for what happened." Vaati stood so quickly,his blanket fell and the chair he was sitting in tumbled to the floor.

"You think I care more than I actually do. I could leave and it would make no difference." Link looked furious at this.

"You don't mean that." He pointed an accusatory finger at Vaati's chest. "You can talk yourself up all you want. Get angry at me, at yourself. But don't think for one second that she wouldn't be hurt if she woke up and you weren't here." Link dropped his hand. "I won't let you do that to her."

They stared each other down, both with tempers running high. It wasn't long before Vaati was feeling too suffocated to stay in the same room. He stormed off toward the door. He heard movement behind him before he felt a firm grip on his upper arm. Link had lunged to grab him, staying true to his word about not letting him leave. Vaati bit his lip to keep from lashing out again. If he wasn't so spent magically, he might have used it then. He took a silent breath.

"Stay with her." He stayed facing away from the other man. "I will not leave." He conceded.

The pressure remained fixated for a second longer, then Link released him. Vaati walked as calmly as he could out of the door.

...

The outside air helped to quiet his nerves. The wind blew across his face and with a few deep breaths, he was able to relax. He closed his eyes and tried to think of nothing for a few moments, though he knew he couldn't escape from his troubles for very long. For the time being, he drew strength from the nature around him.

Link had been right. He cared too much to leave them. Not that he would be allowed to anyway. He had a job to do and they were part of it now. He wasn't socially inclined by any means, and it had been a long time since he had this kind of a relationship with other people. He just was unaccustomed to it. As soon as he had reached the roof, he felt sick to his stomach for the way he talked to Link.

Link. The name reverberated in his thoughts. Link, the hero; the title seemed to follow the name around. For the first time in what felt like several lifetimes, his thoughts fell on his early years. Back when he was only training to become a sorcerer. If only his former master could see what he had become. A servant. A slave.

He couldn't complain too much. His life was most certainly not boring. It was the fact that all of his actions were guided by a higher force that made him feel that way. Of course, he thought, that was probably the way he was supposed to feel. These tasks that were appointed to him were, after all, a part of his atonement.

Many years ago, four he guessed, he had been pulled from the realm of Hyrule and brought before those who sought to punish him for his trespasses against the peaceful kingdom. Before a final decision could be made, however, he was given a choice; to live or die. He was given a chance to choose his own punishment. It didn't take him long to find that he wanted to live, and he gave his decision. That was what brought about his current position. Instead of death, he was sent to right the wrongs wrought by those who threatened the innocent, whether that happened centuries after his time or in another dimension.

Apart from the hero of his past, he hadn't met another individual like him until now. You could imagine his surprise when he caught wind of a Hero of Time by the same name upon his arrival. At first, he did not think there was any connection between the two, but that changed when they met. The similarities were numerous. He was forced to think that it was possible they shared some amount of lineage.

Vaati did once think to himself that, had the circumstances been different, he would have liked someone like Link to be his friend. Forced to grow past this notion because of his situation, the thought of fellowship with anyone felt out of reach. All the people that he could call 'friend' he would have to leave.

Yet he allowed this Gerudo girl a place in his life. Years ago, he might have let people get close to him. He had long since been done with that. It became too complicated when it was time to go. He still questioned why he was even interested in the girl. Perhaps some unknown force was drawing him to her. He sighed loudly.

Then there was Link. Despite their rocky start, Vaati could sense camaraderie developing between them. He blamed Mari for that. The feeling of having someone to call a friend was nice, he admitted, even though it would be hard later. He decided to allow it to happen.

When he opened the door back into the house after retreating from the roof's solitude, he found Link leaned against the kitchen table. He had waited for him. Vaati couldn't look him in the eye. He opened his mouth to speak, but he saw Link hold up his hand in a silencing gesture. When he saw that he had the mage's attention, Link refolded his arms.

"Firstly, I want to apologize for the way I've treated you. I should have listened to her when she said you were trustworthy. I'm sorry for that." Link began. Vaati gave him a nod.

"You had your reasons." Vaati was silent until he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling. "I am sorry for shouting at you. You were correct in that I need rest. I have gone far too long without it."

"I can imagine how exhausted you must be; no sleep after that feat you pulled yesterday. That was amazing by the way." Vaati studied Link as he said this. His eyes avoided looking directly at him and he rubbed at the back of his neck. He was good for admitting wrongdoings but compliments were a bit much. Vaati decided to cut him a break.

"Those monsters had overstayed their welcome." He tried to give his quip a little 'Marickiya' spin to it. He wasn't sure he had done it justice but Link noticed the change. He smiled genuinely.

"I'm glad you're here and fighting with us." He held out his hand invitingly and the mage took it.

Day 3.

The two were restless again. Link couldn't help but feel like it had been too long since they'd heard anything from the enemy. He needed to do something. While they sat idle, who knew what Ganondorf was doing? And if they were attacked, would it be safe to leave Mari alone when she had already been targeted once? Vaati was equally as worried. They had lapsed into silence the night before and hadn't broken it since. Vaati, at Link's suggestion, had taken the night to sleep. Though he slept through to the morning, he felt anything but refreshed.

The quiet haunted them as the day wore on without incident. Vaati had a feeling they were in for another uneventful night.

...

Mumbling pervaded the stillness of the darkened room. Vaati fell in and out of the realm of sleep. Exhausted, but unable to find the right state of mind for slumber, he had elected to stay up again in Link's stead at Marickiya's side. His head was aching, keeping him from focusing. It was something that his magical abilities could not remedy. He decided to lay his head on one of his arms and close his eyes for a few minutes, believing that if Mari were to awaken, his proximity would be enough to alert him to it.

He was uncomfortable. That was the very last thing on his mind, however. He replayed the events from the last few days. He was sure that he could have seen this, could have prevented this from happening. He felt responsible for what happened to this girl.

'_I _am _responsible,' _he chided within his thoughts. He hated himself for it. Of all the stupid weaknesses to have, being unable to predict the enemies' moves was, to him, the worst. Now that there were others involved, it wasn't just costing him anymore. He snarled angrily.

He was so furious, it hurt him physically. He had these tasks appointed to him, they were simple even, and he was already failing. It should be easy to protect one's allies, and yet he allowed harm to come to them. What was he doing? He wasn't anywhere close to his main objective, the defeat of the King of Evil, and he didn't even have a clue as to what this 'second threat' could be. He clenched his teeth.

The lights had been dimmed earlier and the moon was shinning in through the window like it did when the sky was clear. He barely spared any glances to the cot he usually slept in. All that was there was a perfect illustration of his failures in the form of an unconscious Marickiya. He couldn't bring himself to watch her pale face, without expression, without life, while she slept. He was beginning to think that it wasn't sleep at all, though he couldn't think of what else was going on. She wasn't peaceful by any means. She exuded anxiety and fear from her being which in turn made him agitated, not knowing what he could do.

His subconsciousness roused him. Had he really fallen asleep, he mused without opening his eyes. He rarely fell into unconsciousness involuntarily. He must be more tired that he originally thought. But why had did he suddenly wake? He did notice a slight difference in the air. He no longer felt distress coming from Mari.

The smell of blood filled all his senses then like a slap to the face.

His eyes shot open and his head was up in an instant. Marickiya was gone.

It felt like all his muscles tensed up at once which caused his tired body pain. He ignored it and wrenched his senses open to try and locate the missing girl. He saw her light coming from the loft where she usually resided. His first thought was relief that perhaps she had finally awoken. There was something else, though, within him that thought otherwise. Looking up, he saw a hunched shadowed figure. He lurched from his chair and raced up the steps, trepidation rushing through him. The taste of iron in his mouth became more prevalent as he approached which was making him increasingly queasy. He paused at the top of the stairs and a chill ran through his spine.

He sucked in a breath. In the subdued light, he could see Mari sitting on her pallet that she slept on, a knife in her left hand. The blade was digging into her other arm which was drawing copious amounts of blood onto her sheets and the floor. His eyes widened.

"What are you _doing_?!" he yelled as he launched himself forward to grab at her hand that held the dagger. Her grip was extremely firm, however, and wouldn't let up on cutting her free arm. He tried pulling her hands away from each other, but that only resulted in a sickening grinding noise that he recognized as metal scraping against bone. He could hear some shuffling from below the loft and knew that his shout must have awoken Link.

"Link," he called with alarm in his voice, "Help me please!" There was some 'thump, thump, thump's that signified Link rushing up the stairs.

"What happening?" he said aghast. But the scene before him, though surprising as it was, was answer enough. He leapt forward and tried helping to pry Mari's hand from the blade she gripped. He managed to pull her fingers from the hilt one by one and the bloodied thing fell to the floor with a crash. It was then that Mari's frame finally went limp.

They both sat back in an exhausted heap.

"I am so sorry. I fell asleep for only a moment," Vaati faltered as his voice cracked.

"What the hell happened?" Link swore.

"I don't know," Vaati said, trying to calm his racing heart. "Get a light. I need to see the damage." He assumed Link nodded from the quiet whiff in his direction. He felt Link move away down the stairs, then heard some scrambling and the torches were one by one brought to life. With each lamp lit, the pit of Vaati's stomach dropped further and further. He was holding Mari's limp body and held her arm up to slow the flow of blood somewhat. The stuff was everywhere. Her sheets were drenched in the thick dark liquid and it was an unsettling sight.

"Gods," Vaati gave a constrained moan. Link having finished lighting the room had grabbed some cloths and rushed back up to the loft. When he reached the scene, he paused as if not knowing where to start.

"Here," he offered her bloodied arm, "hold it for a moment." Link took one towel and approached. He took her arm and began wiping the blood away. Vaati, meanwhile, was lowering her closer to the ground with her head lying on his thigh. He gingerly took her arm back as Link was finishing and inspected it.

It was all the way to the bone as he expected, more of a gouge than a cut. Had she been left alone any longer, she could have lost her hand. He swallowed hard.

"We have to make it stop bleeding. Now." He said. Link took a towel and pressed it hard against the wound. It wasn't any good as the cloth simply soaked up more of her precious life. It needed to be closed.

"Can..." Link spoke up. He looked revolted by what he was about to say. "Can you cauterize it?"

Vaati had been considering it but wouldn't suggest it. He didn't know how Link would react. Giving him a gruff nod, he started immediately. His thumb lit up with a fiery glow and set to work.

It didn't take long to close the wound as it was more deep than wide. He worried about any internal damage that he could not see to fix. The skin bubbled and looked a sickly charred red where the hole used to be. It nauseated him.

"She was crying," Link pointed to her face. His gaze swept over to her closed eyes where he saw what Link was referring to. He did not know if it was the physical pain that caused her to cry, or something else. The 'something else' thought gave him an idea.

"Let's clear this up and wrap her wrist. Then I would like to talk." Vaati said and then closed his mouth into a thin line. The sight of so much blood was making his stomach do flips. Link obliged by kneeling beside Mari and lifting her up off the floor. She hung limply, barely any life left in her. She had nearly turned utterly white since the last he saw her face in the light. Link carted her back downstairs while Vaati used some of the remaining rags and Mari's sheets to wipe up the red fluid. It was done quickly, he wasn't much for gore and wanted it over with. He tied up the bloodied cloth in the sheets. There was going to be a stain in the wood that he would be unable to remove. He turned away and took the sheet outside. He didn't think he'd be able to calm his nerves until every last trace of red was gone. The only thing he could think to do to get rid of it was to burn it. He held it in the air set a fire to it. Soon there was nothing left but cinders that floated away into the night. He took a steadying breath.

Back inside, Link had bandaged Mari's wrist tightly. He looked up at the mage with a tired expression.

"It's not that bad, is it?" He sounded like a lost child, grasping at a small hope. Vaati looked grim as he regarded Mari's wan features again.

"We will not know the extent of the damage until she wakes. For now, I can help her replenish some of the blood she lost." He rummaged into a belt pocket and withdrew a small vial of a bright violet liquid. He uncorked it, placed a finger to the opening and tilted. Taking the finger away left a small drop on his finger tip. Link eyed it warily as Vaati placed what he assumed was some sort of potion to the girl's lips. Vaati noticed.

"I guess you do not completely trust me." He said quietly. Link did not react initially. He watched Mari for a moment longer. When he saw the pallor fading, he let out a shaky breath.

"I suppose not." He replied.

Vaati was beyond being angry at Link. He didn't have it in him anymore. He just felt an emptiness at Link's words. He wasn't sure if he wanted to befriend Link anymore. There was too little reliance between them. He didn't know what else to do, what else to say. He was giving up.

"She does, though." Link never looked away from Marickiya as he said this. "It's enough."

Vaati pulled up a chair next to the Hylian. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. For the moment he would disregard Link's trust issues and get to what he wanted to talk about.

"She has nightmares on a recurring basis, as I am sure you already noticed." As he spoke, Mari's eyelids fluttered and she breathed in deep. They watched without a word until she returned to her stillness that they had grown used to.

"I have noticed." Link said slowly.

"I have reason to believe her unconscious state is self-induced." Link furrowed his eyebrows and finally faced the sorcerer.

"You mean you think she's doing it on purpose?" Vaati shook his head.

"Not exactly. I believe she has suffered something traumatic and her mind is trying to protect itself by locking up." After stating this, they grew quiet in thought.

"Can she wake up on her own?" Link asked out loud.

"That is possible. It is just that if she stays like this any longer, her body will start shutting itself down. She won't survive more than a few days."

"Is there any way we can wake her up?" Link sounded desperate.

"There is only one way that I can think of." Link looked expectantly at him. "It..." he wasn't sure how to continue, "I could probably wake her, but the consequences for doing so I cannot be sure of."

"What kind of consequences?"

"They are endless. Permanent memory loss is one of them. There are also far worse things..." Loss of basic cognitive functions was another possible side effect that he wouldn't mention just then. Link seemed like he didn't want to think about it any more than he did.

"If you aren't sure, then we won't do it." Link stood up. "We will wait first." He walked back to his bed before Vaati could respond. Vaati idly wondered how Link was going to get back to sleep after what they just experienced. But Link wouldn't be sleeping. He wanted some time to think things through on his own. He didn't want Vaati to see him break...

Day 4.

Vaati was betting against himself. He could not recall the color of Marickiya's eyes. Hazel. Olive. Auburn. It was one of those but he could not be sure of which one. His bet was being able to correctly decide on one before she opened them again.

She was beginning to show visual signs of dehydration. Chapped lips, sunken sockets, fever; it was becoming dangerous for her to continue with this persistent unconsciousness.

Just after the sun rose was when Link reemerged from his blankets. He looked as tired as ever.

"How did you sleep?" Vaati asked disinterestedly.

"I didn't." Vaati hummed as a response and tucked his knees under his chin, closing his eyes. "Can I ask you something?"

He was being polite. Vaati chanced a sideways glance at him. He had a hardened face, his sockets almost as sunken as Marickiya's. He closed his eyes and hummed again.

"What is it exactly that you would do to wake her?" Vaati had a feeling this was what his question would be.

"I can connect our spirits and speak with her inside her mind. All I would do is try to talk to her." He tried to make it sound less intimidating than his first explanation. The thing was, meddling inside someone else's mind was extremely tricky. They could lose memories, their identity, or their morals could be irreversibly altered.. Any of this could happen if the one doing the meddling wasn't careful.

The two sat, motionless, for a long while. Vaati could see Link's mind whirring with alternatives to waking her. He knew that Link didn't like the idea of him infiltrating her subconscious.

Finally, Link moved. He brought his hand to his face and over his eyes, a sign of defeat.

"I trust you to do this. I know you won't mess it up." Link felt a hand on his shoulder and he moved his hand down to his mouth, giving Vaati a determined stare.

"Link," Vaati's was equally as resolute. "Thank you for your trust. I am undeserving."

Without any more words or wasting any more moments, Vaati reached over to Mari's hand and intertwined his fingers in hers. He could not think of the benign notion of being able to hold Mari's hand in his. He pushed the feeling deep and emptied his thoughts of all else to concentrate. He closed his eyes, fixated on the cool skin that was enveloped by his warm hand and slithered over into her subconscious, leaving Link with a stunned look at his last words.


	13. Chapter 13

Cumulating Dreams

To be within another body's subconscious is an utterly erratic experience. No two minds are exactly the same, like fingerprints, so Vaati knew to expect the unexpected.

Thus far, within Marickiya's mind, it seemed relatively normal as far as normal could be applied in a situation such as this. He stood in a long hallway of graying stone. The ceiling was only a few feet above is head and the walls on either side of him felt as if they were closing in with their proximity. Down both walls were metal doors, each spaced out evenly. And each door had one small, barred square window. There were no door knobs. It was very bland and monotone, so Vaati began to walk. On and on he trudged looking for a sign of…well anything. The only difference apart from the barred doors was a faint glowing that was alit from each endless end of the hallway that seemed to evade him as he made his way towards it. It was a sharp contrast to the darkness that surrounded him on all other sides.

'_There doesn't seem to be any end to this. What do you want me to do?'_ he thought to himself. He picked up his pace quite a bit and sprinted down the long hallway. A few minutes later, he came to a stop and looked around again to the same scenery. Frustrated, he elected to continue down the path he was already headed, only at a jog. Usually a subconscious would show an image of itself to him when he first entered their mind. But he didn't see anything that even resembled a human; or movement for that matter.

After a few minutes of nothingness he stopped again and stamped his foot impatiently.

"Would this end already?!" He shouted at the walls in annoyance. He glared down the hall with his arms crossed, thinking. One of the doors maybe?

He turned to one of the doors and reached out to touch it; to see if he could somehow force his way in. But something else caught his attention before he could place his fingers on the metal. The 'end' he had been running towards just appearedin the form of a wall of iron barsas if it had been there the entire time.

"So you wanted me to ask for it," he mused.

He walked slowly towards the bars and realized with a jolt what it was. It was a cell. All the doors along the hall led to prison cells.

He warily approached the cell and he saw that his subconscious image he was looking for resided within; Mari sat upon the floor in a corner hugging her knees. He scanned the wall of bars and found the door. It creaked as it opened at his touch; he looked over at Mari and noticed she didn't acknowledge his presence.

Any kind of cage usually meant the person had a secret. The fact that this was an entire set of dungeons could mean she had one large secret, or many small ones. Admittedly, he knew next to nothing about either of his companions, but he could easily sense others' intentions. He never once sensed any sort of misgiving from this girl. No, he trusted her implicitly from the beginning and he never really understood why.

He advanced towards the prone Marickiya and quietly spoke her name. She did not stir. He knelt down beside her.

"Marickiya?" He said a bit louder. She still didn't move. She didn't even seem to hear him.

"Mari…" He went to touch her spectral arm but a voice broke the silence.

"What do you think you're doing?" He stood and turned quickly. A menacing woman with long auburn hair and dressed in desert garb stood at the cell's entrance. He thought he would encounter something like this; a defense against intruders. A spirit in a self-preserving state sometimes can project an individual that they believe to be stronger than themselves to their aid. This woman, he guessed, was a Gerudo. But there was something different about her from the Gerudo he knew of.

"Who are you?" He inquired rather curiously. She didn't seem to be on the offensive so he decided talk was better than attack. He thought maybe this woman was the best friend Mari had mentioned before.

"My name is Marickiya of the Gerudo tribe." She stated regally. Vaati started.

"Mari?" He said taken aback quite a bit. He looked down at the girl in the floor and back to the one standing in front of the cell opening. He noted the few similarities; the sun-bleached streaked and dark red hair, the skin tone, her normal haughty attitude. But after those the differences were too immense for him to see the same Mari he had spent time with for the last few months. This Marickiya's proud demeanor made the one he had grown to know appear timid. Her hair was nearly waist length, and she was adorned in some fairly intricate jewelry.

"Only my friends call me by that nickname." She said. He raised his eyebrows slightly.

"And I am not your friend?" he said in reply.

"I do not know you."

Vaati thought about the situation he was in. Was this really Marickiya? Or a different person entirely that Mari's thoughts conjured to protect themselves?

"You are Marickiya," he said thinking through the indications presented to him.

"I know who I am. Now who are you?" she demanded. She certainly had the same spark as the Mari he knew.

"My name is Vaati." He said, going along with the conversation.

"Vaati, what is your purpose here in this cell?" she asked of him.

"I am looking for Marickiya." He said slowly wondering whether this statement would earn him another sardonic remark.

"As you and I have already established, _I _am Marickiya."

"Yes, of course." He smirked slightly at his confirmed assumption.

"But you seem to be more familiar with the other 'Me' down there." She gestured to the Mari in the corner on the floor. He looked at her and back to the standing Mari.

"The other 'Me'? You are the same person?" He said forgetting his earlier musings.

"Yes. I represent her past that she has so detached herself from." He had yet to witness someone using a past version of themselves as a defense before. It was already a stranger experience than what he had expected.

"That is why you do not know me. I become friends with you... er, in your future, I suppose." She accepted it.

"Alright. Now, why are you looking for me?" She demanded again now that formalities were out of the way.

"I have come to find out why Marickiya," he gestured behind him, "will not wake."

"Ah," she unfolded her arms and suddenly looked less intimidating, "That is quite a story."

"You know the reason?" He seemed greedy in his questioning. She looked back at him with a hurt in her eyes.

"I know." She said. "She cannot wake unless there is restitution for what she has done.

Before Vaati could do anything, everything turned purest white.

...

There was a strong wind that tugged at his clothing. He had blocked the blinding light with his arms and now peeked through them to observe his new 'surroundings'. The ground seemed to be made of a golden dust. The wind was picking up the gold and whipping it about in a swirling motion. Vaati was at a loss.

'_What is this?' _he began to wonder. Then he heard Marickiya speak from behind him.

"It is desert." Vaati turned to look around at her and there seemed to be no swirling gold in her direction. Blue sky could be seen above her and the gold, which he now realized to be sand, sat motionless at her feet. Everything became as still as it was around her. He didn't need to shield his face anymore.

Desert. He only knew of that word from his text books. Never had he seen with his own eyes this wonderment. Sand he also knew of but never experienced its annoyance, it's gritty uncomfortable-ness. Marickiya's spirit emulated it well.

"I grew up never knowing desert as I assume you have." Vaati said in slight awe.

"You assume correctly. This," she gestured at the abounding nothingness, "is my childhood."

"Why are you showing me this?" Vaati asked in interest. He didn't want to sound like he thought this had nothing to do with why he was there.

"This is where it began." Marickiya stooped down and softly plunged a hand into the sand and closed her fist around a portion of the ever present golden sand. She stood back up with tendrils of sand began to pour out of the spaces between her fingers. Even though there was no wind, instead of falling back to join the particles under their feet, it seemed to disappear midway in its descent. He looked up from Mari's hand to her face.

"With the passing of the scorching sun came frigid nights. I was born into this world incriminated, charged with an illegitimate existence." She turned her palm upwards and opened her fingers, allowing the sand to flow out of her hand and into another swirling, dancing cyclone of gold. Before his eyes, a city within the desert built into the shelter of high rock swam into view around them, created by the sand as if someone had blown dust off of an old relic. Mari began her story.

"As far as I can remember, I have lived among the Gerudo. They are a group of female bandits that train their young to be just as cruel as their leader. The one male born to their tribe every one hundred years is their sole and sworn leader. No exceptions. In my time, it was decreed that we were not allowed to elope outside of the tribe. The punishment for such an act is death. I am sure you noticed, I say that I am a Gerudo, but I do not look the part." Vaati nodded with understanding.

"It is uncommon for a Gerudo woman to conceive a child before she is caught. Therefore the child dies with the mother. I cannot say that I know how I came to be. Most of the Gerudo, ever loyal to their King, would never accept me as apart of the tribe as a consequence. The only reason I was allowed to remain was another commandment by our leader. He never said I was one of the tribe, but he said I was to be trained like a true Gerudo. That was enough for some, but for others, they treated me as they would the condemned. I was an abomination."

Some commotion was coming from one of the nearby buildings. Vaati looked over to a large door-less passage, his curiosity piqued. He looked over at Mari who was already heading inside the doorway. He followed.

Once inside he realized the building they were in was an armory; weapons of many sorts lined the walls and practice dummies littered the floor. To his astonishment, children were scattered around the room fighting the dummies with the assortment of weapons the room provided. They began their training at such a young age…

Then he spotted Mari. She was easily discernible among the other girls; she had not yet attained her now tanned skin. He skin was almost as white as a Hylian's and he could clearly see her pointed ears; her hair was tied back. It seemed pretty long for one so young, he noted.

There was one lone adult Gerudo that loomed over the children. He gathered she must have been the overseer. She walked around with a quill and roll of parchment that was halfway unfurled and flowed behind her as she walked, writing down notes about each child in turn as she passed. She stopped at one girl with a raised eyebrow.

"Nalyra," she stopped writing and pulled the paper away from her face to get a better look. The girl, looking a little surprised at this address, stopped practicing and straightened up to salute her superior.

"Yes ma'am," she said with respect. She almost looked as if she were trying to hide her weapon behind her back. Vaati didn't get a good look at what she had been using.

"Nalyra, you seem to have a pretty good handle on that weapon there," the trainer pointed to her right hand that was trying to stow what she was holding out of sight. The small girls' dark face turned pink.

"Thank you…" she trailed away. Though the girl looked ready to get back to her training to escape, the trainer was not done with her.

"Where did you get it?" The child paled now.

"Um," her voice was getting quieter each time she spoke, "From the inventory…"

"That whip is not part of the regimented weapon supply we provide here in the armory," she said. She didn't seem to be angry but the girl, Nalyra, sure was frightened. She began stammering a lot.

"Ma'am," came a voice from a little ways away from the instructor and stuttering student. The trainers' eyes peeled away from her prey and looked over to where the voice came from. Her expression then became that of one having something foul smelling thrust under their nose. She looked down upon the young Marickiya with disdain and said nothing.

"I made these," she offered her own whip she had been using. The woman took the whip and examined it with no less disgust than she had with Mari.

"You made this?"

"Yes, I found a book in the archives that explained what it was and its uses, and I thought it might be useful for…" She trailed off just like Nalyra had under the gaze of the vulture-like woman.

The whole room was quiet then. All of the other girls had stopped to watch the scene between teacher and student, and everything seemed to be holding its breath.

And then the Gerudo woman began to whip Mari with her own creation.

Where there was as still a silence before, there was then equally as much noise. Screams permeated the air along with the whips' slashing movements and cracks against flesh. After exactly ten lashes, the instructor stopped and peered at the sobbing child with interest.

"You're right, this is pretty useful, however crudely made," she said and dropped the handmade whip at her feet, Mari was curled up in a ball on the floor, tears streaming down her face and stinging cuts and welts erupted all over her bare arms and back. The rest of the girls that had backed up during the beating were standing stock still, staring in turn at Mari and the trainer.

"I'll be reporting this to the higher ups. They'll decide what to do with you and your little creation." And she picked up her parchment and quill that had been discarded for the whipping and continued making notes all around the room. "Perhaps you'll think twice now before stepping out of line."

After she walked away, Nalyra slowly picked her way over to Mari and began talking to her softly, soothingly, pulling a small piece of cloth from a pocket and helped to clean off the cuts from the dirt they had acquired from Mari falling to the floor.

"She was my best friend. Naly was always there to help me. She even got a few beatings herself but it never deterred her. I was always amazed by her. I had very few friends at the Fortress. Later on, I grew closer to Nabooru."

A tall woman, garbed in scanty pink clothes, appeared before them. He caught glimpses of her and the young Mari training together.

"She personally saw to my training. I can only assume she had openly disagreed with the other women's treatment of me. She came to me one day and told me I wouldn't be in classes with the other girls anymore. I didn't fully understand at first, but I came to love spending time her. I thought maybe, she might have loved me, too. I never found out."

The scene changed to a dark night. There was a giant gate, opened just enough for the height of a person to walk through. Nabooru stood just before it with a long scarf draped over her shoulders and covering much of her head.

"Please, let me come with you," came the pleading voice of a young girl.

"It's too dangerous for me to bring you along." Nabooru sounded nearly amused. "I already told, I won't be gone long." She knelt in front of the girl, smiled sweetly, and gave her a hug. Mari looked disappointed, but returned the embrace. Pulling away, Nabooru gave her a stern look. "I expect you to be up and training on your own at dawn, okay?"

"Dawn?" The young Mari looked dismayed. Then she gave a sly grin. "How will you even know if I'm actually up at dawn?"

"Oh, I will know. Trust me." Nabooru stood up and waved to her as she walked into the sandy darkness.

"She didn't come back after that. No one knew what had happened to her. She told me what she was doing was an important secret mission. So, of course, I told no one of her disappearance into the desert. How could I? I knew they wouldn't believe me and I would be punished, just as usual." Marickiya turned her back to the gate and it disintegrated with a push from the wind. "It wasn't long before they picked up where they left off. When Nabooru was around, they wouldn't touch me. With her disappearance, it was worse than ever."

Vaati was angry. He knew all too well the pain of being bullied. She, though, had been lucky. Someone had wanted to be there for her. She had a best friend that helped her through all her pain. He wouldn't be surprised if without Nalyra, she would have turned into something similar to what he had become when he got old enough to understand. He sought revenge on an unfair world, never showing mercy to any living being. These thoughts swirled around in his mind with an unabated fury.

"This went on my entire life here," she continued, "even the other girls my age started to pick it up, the older women turning a blind eye. None of the younger ones really understood why it was okay to be so cruel, they just did it. They knew I was different, but they didn't ask questions about why. As we got older and the commandment of 'no outsiders allowed' was taught to them, some began to make the connection.

"One day, this assumption was voiced by a girl, Vinaya. She accused me of being an outsider and was threatening me. Nalyra, who was rising in the ranks, was quick to tell anyone off.

"The Great Ganondorf only allows our own kind to live among us." A slightly older Nalyra's voice rang out before the scene unfolded before them. "If he allows someone to live here, and train here as a Gerudo, then she is one. If you disagree with our Leader, the one who made this rule in the first place," at this she gave an almost evil smirk, "I suggest you take that matter up with him."

The scene dissolved, yet the village remained. Marickiya began walking and Vaati followed.

"Vinaya, along with a few others, still did not accept me, but I just lived with it. I had my friends with me, and I focused on honing my skills. The beatings and cruelty did abate quite a bit after that. No one wanted to outright admit that they questioned Ganondorf's ruling. Everything was done subtly. I can't tell you what hurt worse, the short period of beatings, or the whispered accusations of having a traitorous whore for a mother that went on for years. I came to the Gerudo Valley as a baby. I don't remember anything before my life at the fortress."

"Why did you stay?" Vaati asked.

"Where else could I go? I had no other worldly experience, no family, no way of attaining money or food, no way of transportation… I was stuck in the Valley for there were no nearby towns. I would have had to have waited until I could make it on my own. I had no intention of leaving, though. It was cruel, but I managed.

"Well, I say I had no intention, but that was when the logical side of my mind was dominant. When I was in pain, I always thought of leaving. But then later I would think of it as a silly notion and dismiss the thought.

"All of that when I received Trysting." They had arrived outside of the entrance to the village where a large tent lay on one side. Mari headed across the bridge towards some stables.

"Your horse?" Vaati wondered idly. She nodded.

"I bought him from the stables near our village from a boy named Jerias." She stopped again and a boy with dirty blonde hair and a somewhat built frame appeared. "He helped me take care of Trysting."

She took a deep breath and the boy vanished into the desert like all the other visions.

"With Trysting, I started to play around with the idea of leaving. The only things that kept me from actually fulfilling these fantasies was that I knew nothing of the world outside the desert. That and I loved my one true friend and I didn't want to leave her."

The scene changed and Mari was hanging around the stables with Trysting and Jerias.

"There's actually a great lake just south of here. It isn't that far and it is very beautiful." Jerias was brushing the black mare's mane as he spoke.

"Really? That sounds amazing," Mari's eyes were bright and filled with wonder. But then, they lost their glow just as quickly as it had come. "But I can't leave here. You know that."

"Why not? It would be great to travel the world." Jerias tried to say but Mari shook her her head.

"I could get into a lot of trouble," she started to say. Jerias wasn't finished trying to sway her.

"So what? If you never come back, they wouldn't come after you, would they?" Mari didn't answer.

"That isn't the only reason I don't want to leave. I have people I love here."

The scene was gone again. Before Marickiya could show him anything else, Vaati spoke up.

"Well, I know that you did end up leaving. So, what was it that changed your mind?" Vaati was trying to hurry things along in her retelling. The longer he spent connected to her, the easier it was for him to mess something up.

"I never changed my mind." She replied, catching him off guard a little. "I was forced to leave.

"There was a series of events and people that caused this to come about. Firstly, was Vinaya." Vaati was used to seeing apparitions of the people she described and so awaited another to show him who Vinaya was. None was forthcoming however. Marickiya continued. "It became clear to everyone that she rejected me as a Gerudo. She was punished for disregarding Ganondorf's law. Her hair, which is a staple of the pride of the Gerudo, had been cut as a sign to others of her disloyalty. She blamed me.

"She wanted me gone in more ways than one."

The buildings around them swiveled with color and a new area began to form. They were inside one of the building's catacombs, it was dark and lit by a solitary lamp. Vaati could hear harsh whispers.

"You're complete trash, you know that. You bring shame to our tribe." Vaati squinted through the shadows and he could see two figures in the semi-darkness, one being held against a wall by the neck and one doing the holding. Though he could see Mari just fine once his eyesight adjusted, there was something funny going on with the other woman. Darkness shrouded her form, he could not see her face, only hear her harsh words. Marickiya just glared at the other figure holding her and pried her fingers away from her neck just enough to breathe.

"How do you figure that?" Mari grunted, "I'm not the one who defied our King. In fact, I'm pretty sure that was _you._"

"Shut _up_!" She slammed Mari hard against the brickwork which made Mari splutter and cough for a second. Vaati couldn't help but think of when he had Lana in Mari's body against a wall just like this. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

"I see you for what you are. You may fool the elders, but I see you go off with that stable boy. You're just another one of those fools whose going to get caught." Mari's eyes flashed in alarm for the merest of seconds, then she glowered back at the woman below her.

"And you are just another bully who can't get to me." Mari spat back. They stared each other down for a moment longer. Then Vinaya dropped Marickiya and stalked off down the hallway. The choking Mari on the floor dissolved as did the chamber and they were back outside.

"Because I spent so much time taking care of Trysting at the stables, she thought Jerias and I were seeing each other."

"Were you?" Vaati couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Jerias seemed to think we were even though I told him repeatedly that wasn't the case. I spurned his advances but he kept trying, each attempt was more forceful than the last. Vinaya had been the one to see us and she turned me in."

Vaati didn't think he could stomach another tormenting flashback but the swirling colors appeared again and it showed them in the central square of the village, surrounded by onlookers. In the middle of the crowd were Mari and Vinaya again. Vinaya, to Vaati's mild surprise was still covered in a shadowy substance making it impossible to discern any distinguishing features. She was pointing a threatening finger down at Marickiya who looked like she had been thrown to the ground, beaten and with her clothes barely hanging off of her from being ripped.

"I saw them!" he heard a voice shout dramatically at the people. "She has chosen an outsider over our King." The surrounding Gerudo began murmuring. Mari sat there silently, holding herself. She could not deny what had been seen even though what she thought happened and what actually took place were two completely different things.

"We have put up with her long enough! I think it's about time you were no longer among us." She picked herself up.

"Fine." Marickiya spat. "I'll leave. I have no more reason to call this place my home." Vaati spotted Nalyra in the crowd of onlookers give a gasp of surprise. But then Vinaya laughed and it was one of the most unnerving things Vaati had ever heard.

"Leave? What makes you think we'd let you leave and spread to the country that we Gerudo are weak and allow half-blooded filth to live among our number?"

Mari took a step back with a shocked look on her face. Nalyra ran to her side, just as she always did.

"You go too far, Vin. What other proof do you have besides your word?" Vinaya sneered at Nalyra.

"My proof lies in Marickiya's silence. She does not deny it." She then addressed the women at large. "You were all quick to punish me for disloyalty, but you would allow one such as _her_," she gave a great sweep of her arm to point at Mari again, "to walk free when it is explicitly stated what we are to do betrayers?"

The crowd seemed to be murmuring more furiously now.

"Gerudo women, if you still uphold the Great Ganondorf's law, then stand by me now and seize this traitorous wretch who followed in her mothers' footsteps!" Mari looked around frightened, and some women did move forward albeit hesitantly. Then a voice rang out.

"She has the right of trial! It is also Ganondorf's law." Nalyra shouted passionately. The approaching women looked slightly relieved and stopped their advance with a wave of assenting murmurs.

Vinaya was livid.

"Quiet!" Vinaya shouted. "She will stand trial then, for her crimes against our people. To make sure she won't try to escape her sentence, we should keep her locked away." The women seemed to agree with this sentiment. Marickiya scowled, tears stinging her eyes, when she felt a hand wrap around her arm. It wasn't rough as she expected and turned to see Nalyra had been the one who was holding onto her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Vinaya seethed.

"Your _orders_," Nalyra retorted with hatred in her eyes. Then she stalked away with Mari and led her to one of the cells. The encircled women faded as the two entered the closest brick building.

"She took me there to explain how I was going to get out. I tried to tell her not to get involved but she became angry with me and said she wouldn't let Vinaya's unfair trial get me killed. She said she would come that night and get me out and if I wanted to stop her, I would have to scream out and get us both caught and killed. She left before I could say anything else against her plan.

"I was angry at first, but it made me realize how much she cared for me. Even though I wouldn't be able to return to see her, I didn't want to die and cause her any more pain. I waited for her. But then something I didn't expect happened."

They were in a cell and Mari lay against a wall with her eyes closed. There was a noise at the entrance of the cell, but it was dark and Mari couldn't see what was going on. She stood as the cell door opened and closed. Someone had entered. Mari moved a little closer to get a better look at who it was, and then stepped back twice and into the cell wall behind her.

"These have been banned for quite some time because of you. I'm working on bring them back into use, though." The shadowy figure that was beginning to remind him of something, was clutching a whip. He saw a wicked smile through the blackness. "I'm going to enjoy every second of this."

Vaati looked down at the stone flagged floor unable to bare it. He heard it though and he couldn't tell if it was worse. There were no screams this time. Mari wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. On and on it went. And finally there was no more.

Vaati looked up. Mari was kneeling with a hardened look on her face. Angry red whelps covered her entire body. The gashes were deeper than her last whipping he had witnessed. Blood slowly trickled from some of the deeper welts like black tar. Vinaya breathed heavily for a moment, her eyes baleful and wild. Marickiya still wasn't backing down.

She managed to pick herself up and stand defiantly before her attacker.

Vinaya in fury lunged at Mari. She threw her into the wall where she was no longer able to keep her footing and slid to the floor. She waylaid every inch of Marickiya's body. With every landed hit, the scene would flash brightly, jolting him. He could almost feel some amount of what she had felt in this moment. Loud grunts issued from Mari as she was kicked in the stomach a few times but other than that she still remained silent. Vaati heard the cracks of breaking bones and he couldn't stand it any longer. He tore his gaze away.

"Gods," he breathed.

Then she stopped. Both women breathed extremely hard and Mari spat a copious amount of blood from her cheeks. Then with a great sigh, Mari fell to the floor in a heap. Vinaya stood staring for the longest time as she caught her breath. Vaati thought surely this was the end of the memory. Mari was unconscious wasn't she?

But it turned out it wasn't over and Mari was still barely conscious enough to remember this last part. Vinaya walked up to Mari and knelt down beside her.

"You," Vinaya said as she gathered up all of Mari's hair in her fist. Vaati thought it absurd of her to be tying back her hair for her, but she went a completely different direction than what he expected. "…Are pathetic." And she took a dagger from her waistband and sliced off Mari's thick red hair all the way to the back of her scalp. It fell dismally around her face covering her eyes. It was then that Vinaya left. And Mari lay there trembling, willing herself to remain quiet.

"A few hours later Naly came and found me. She was horrified. She picked me up and carried me all the way to Jerias' stable. They bandaged me up and prepared me for the journey even though I was clearly unfit for travel. They knew that once Vinaya found me gone, she would come straight to Jerias."

The heap that was Mari on the floor was gone, into the blackness. The scene shifted once more. There was an eerie light that illuminated the area around the stables, moonlight. Trysting and another horse were being prepared by Jerias for a long journey.

After all he had seen, none of it was what had broken Mari. She was strong willed to the very end. He knew he was about to find out her breaking point.

Mari's next narrative was riddled with stuttering. "She f-found us more quickly than we could have anticipated..."

"So you thought you would just leave anyway?" Vinaya had cut them off at the bridge and Jerias was tending to the horse several yards away listening intently.

"Vinaya, please," Nalyra said stepping protectively in front of Mari, "just let her go. She won't be a bother to us anymore. Why does it matter?"

"_You _will be dealt with later, step aside." Vinaya said scathingly to Nalyra. But she didn't back down.

"I will not let you hurt her anymore," She bit back.

There was a yell from a distance and a brown mare came galloping into the fray. It was upon the three girls in an instant and it reared back from the bridge they were standing on, kicking Vinaya in the process who toppled over the edge.

Then Mari did something so shocking and amazing, all Vaati could do was stare wordlessly.

She jumped down after Vinaya.

Mari had just barely grabbed Vinaya's arm and Nalyra had Mari around her waist, holding her up.

"Hang on," Mari said down to her as she dangled dangerous over the cliff side where hundreds of feet below a watery death awaited. Vinaya struggled at first but then she looked up at Mari with the same hatred she always had just for her. Mari looked back and many silent words were exchanged with their eyes. The three of them were still for a moment.

"I'll go find some rope!" Jerias yelled desperately and he disappeared out of sight. At this, Vinaya's eyes narrowed. Mouth agape, Mari watched as Vinaya pulled out her knife again.

"No, wait," Mari became frantic. A distant voice called from afar and Nalyra was still trying to pull Mari and Vinaya back to safety. Vinaya never spoke a word, only stared at Mari with those hate filled eyes.

"Don't do this." She said vainly. Vinaya still said nothing. She had already decided what she was going to do and nothing was changing her mind.

"Don't!" Vinaya made to plunge her dagger into Mari's hand, but Mari, in a panic, had let go of the dangling Vinaya. She watched as she plummeted forever into a dark nothingness. Mari began screaming and flailing about, almost throwing herself and Naly down the cliff after the falling body. Vaati could not tear his gaze away from the falling Vinaya's eyes. The hatred, pure loathing, the blame they placed within Mari telling her she had done this to her was forever seared into him. Everything succumbed to darkness except Vinaya who was eternally falling. He wanted to shut it all out.

It was suffocating; a blinding pain. Every emotion that Mari felt at that time was being wrought on Vaati's own spirit. It took him a moment to notice that he was alone in this blackness. He searched futilely for any other presence. It no longer felt right to be connected to this consciousness. He wanted to retreat back to the semi comfort of his own mind. He could feel himself slipping, could feel the panic setting in. He was losing himself.

He gave a desperate cry. "Marickiya!" He turned once more and, as if in answer his call, she was there, hollow-eyed and empty.

She did not speak but another scene formed around them. They were in the Kakariko graveyard.

"Why did you kill me?"

A ghostly image of Mari detached from the original and whipped around to face a sallow looking, still shadowy Vinaya standing a few yards from her. Her mouth dropped open

"I didn't mean to," she whimpered. "I tried to save you."

"But you let me go. I fell because of you," Vinaya said. "If you had not run away in the first place, I would still be alive. It's all your fault." Tears streamed down the cheeks of the Marickiya standing before him. Something clicked into place for Vaati. Suddenly everything made sense. He did not need to see the rest of the scene to know what happened.

"It's all my fault." The Mari he had come here after finally spoke. "I did it. I killed her." She repeated things like that and more and more of her voice echoed throughout the dark space. Vaati had seen and heard all he needed. With the revelation came clarity and he was able to push Mari's overpowering anguish away.  
>"Enough." He was firm and loud in his demand. He waved his hand through the air around him a quelling manner. The voices abated, but he could still hear little whispers flitting about. He set his sight on Marickiya. "Get up." He couldn't be gentle, he had to be unwavering, steady, if he wanted to get through to her. She ignored him. "I'm sure you have been told repeatedly that this isn't your fault. If I tried to say that now, it would go unheard."<p>

Marickiya crouched on the ground, holding her head. The whispering came to a crescendo. "No, It _was_ my fault..." Vaati spoke above her.

"She chose her death, and she deserved it." Marickiya violently shook her head.  
>"No one deserves to die. Especially for something as trivial as hatred." Vaati was still flabbergasted at her will to see goodness in bad people.<br>"Her hatred of you was not trivial." He was scowling and allowing the ferocity he felt be heard. He did not go to comfort her. He was intent on her feeling his justification. "It was not trivial. Her hatred, not just for you but for herself as well, was her downfall. She was beyond saving."

At this he decided to approach her. He knelt down and grabbed her by the elbows. He was not rough nor gentle. He pulled her spectral form up and forced her to look him in the eyes. "There's little I can say to comfort you. Sympathy is not what you need right now. I want you to listen to me." Her eyes were distant though she showed he had her attention. "You can't deny what happened. It is a part of you now." She teared up and started to shy away. He held her fast and she whimpered. "If you want to keep going, for those you care about, you have to accept this fact. Accept that there is nothing you can do to change the past. Hold onto that, and move forward."

Vaati wasn't sure if his words had gotten to her. She had stopped crying and was looking back and forth between his eyes. He hurt so badly for her. Her innocence had been taken from her. She never showed it, she was trying to bury the past but it had caught up to her. She had held it in for too long. Lana, who somehow had found out about it, used it against her.

"You can't hide it anymore. You need to face this." He let go of her forearms. He waited for her to make her decision. He could do nothing more to influence her.

Her eyes strayed past him and her breath caught. He followed her gaze.

Standing behind him, a ways away, was a woman with short red hair. She stood with her arms crossed and wore a frown. Vaati guessed that this was Vinaya. He looked between the two, then took a step back so that Mari had a full view of her. She looked almost ready to cry again, but when she looked over at Vaati something changed within her. She closed her eyes and brought a hand over her chest.

"I am sorry that things turned out the way the did." She began quietly, shakily. "I know I can't change anything now." Her eyes were open, clear of tears and sadness. Instead, the ferocity that he had come to admire in her was astir again. "You no longer have any power over me. I accept what happened and I have to keep going."

The Vinaya that stood before them blinked out of existence.

The two stood motionless staring at the spot where Vinaya had been standing.

"…Thank you." Mari breathed.

"Now nothing can hold down." He smiled at her and she managed a weak one in return. "Are you you ready to come back?" She gave him a nod and his smile widened. "Then I'll see you on the other side."


	14. Chapter 14

Loose Position

Despite having not truly slept, waking up just then felt exceptionally rejuvenating. He opened his eyes as if he'd never been asleep and raised his head. He heard Link stand up so quickly that he knocked over a chair. He tumbled over his next words.

"How'd it go? Is she alright?" he managed breathlessly. Vaati smiled at him.

"I think she will be." They heard her take in a long breath and Link scrambled over to the bed. Vaati continued to hold her hand, hoping. At the last second, he remembered his bet.

_'Olive,' _he thought to himself as visions of her face from the memories she'd shared with him flashed before his eyes. He felt a light squeeze of her hand in his. The two men held their breath.

Her eyelids fluttered for a second before she looked up at the both of them with sleepy green eyes.

"Wha's goin' on?" She asked groggily. Vaati caught himself before he chuckled. Link, on the other hand, had worry and stress etched on his features.

"Do you remember what happened?" When she didn't reply right away he threw another question at her. "Do you remember me?" At this, she gave him an indignant raised eyebrow.

"How could I possibly forget you, mister 'Hero-of-Time'?" Link smiled down at her.

"It's good to have you back." He said. She gave him a questioning look.

"I didn't think I'd gone anywhere." Her expression became increasingly troubled as she failed to piece together the events that lead to her waking up where she was. "Have... have I been asleep for long?" Link and Vaati looked between each other. Vaati settled on being to the one to explain.

"You've been unconscious for four days." He said. He studied her face, which held doubt and confusion. Did she truly have no recollection of what happened to her? About anything he had said to her within her dreams?...

What Vaati was telling her didn't feel right at all. She felt the sudden urge to move, to get up. She found even attempting to sit up quite difficult and didn't shoo away Vaati and Link as they both placed hands at her back for support.

"But," she began to say, then faltered. "What happened?" She mumbled. Link looked like he was ready to start a long story. However, he was interrupted by a voice separate from those he knew to be present.

"Hero of Time," the title was not used in jest this time, "Please, pardon my intrusion." All three heads spun to face the door where a frantic, yet still regal, Impa stood. Her transparent form was flickering more than usual and she looked distracted.

"It's alright. What's going on?" Link asked of her.

"Your assistance is requested at the Kokiri Village." She said and Link stood up slowly. "There is a small legion of Moblin's gathering at the entrance. The Forest Sage is there keeping them out for as long as possible, but we need your help." Link's eyes widened in fear but Mari was the first to gasp.

"He knows," she said in a horrified whisper. Link's head whipped around to face her.

"Knows what?" She leaned forward excitedly.

"Link! Zelda's child," she had to stop to swallow the dryness in her throat, then continued hoarsely, "She has the Triforce piece we're missing. She has Wisdom!"

There was a pause after her words and the space seemed as if it were sucking in all other sounds with it. After a lot of silent blinking, Link was the first to rouse himself from his stupor.

"How?" he asked in a breathy voice. Mari made an impatient noise.

"The book-" It was really all the explanation he needed, but Impa was the one to cut her off.

"There is little time. The Kokiri are in danger." Vaati, who from the moment of Impa's arrival had is eyes shut looking pensive, stood before the others could make a move.

"Right." He said, grabbing his cloak. "This is where I display the advantages of having a sorcerer on your side." He turned to Link. "I am going on ahead. I will not allow any with ill intentions near the forest." Link gave him a stoic nod and with that, he vanished in a small gust of wind that rustled the many various objects in the room.

"I told him not to do that in the house." Link grumbled and despite the dire situation, the corners of Mari's lips turned up.

"Will you head to the forest as well?" Impa asked from the doorway. If she was at all surprised about Mari's outburst about the baby containing the Triforce piece, she did not show any sign of it. Link cocked an eyebrow.

"Is that a real question?" She nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer.

"We will speak again shortly." She vanished as well, only nothing stirred with her disappearance.

"Alright," Link made to grab his sword and shield, "Pack bare essentials. We need to move as quickly as possible." He slung his shield over his shoulder as he usually did and turned to Marickiya whom he'd just noticed wasn't responding. She was sitting very still with her feet hanging off the side of the cot, one foot on the floor like she'd made to begin doing as Link said, but something had stopped her.

She stared intently at her right hand. Link was about to ask what was wrong but then, seeing the bandages that were wrapped thickly around her wrist, swallowed hard. She tugged at the knot that was holding the wrappings on her arm.

"Mari," he set down his stuff and walked towards her with his hand outstretched. She ignored him and ripped the strips of cloth off of herself. She now stared at the mangled scar across her hand with a foreign expression.

"What happened?" she asked very calmly.

"Does it hurt?" he asked her. She looked up at him and fierce anger flashed across her face.

"_What happened_?" she said. His mouth opened then closed again in a thin line. She continued to look at her hand. "Were we attacked?" Even as she said it, a scene flashed across her memory that held the answers she sought.

"No." Link couldn't find the words to say. He tried to buy himself the time to think of them. "I'll explain on the way." The ferocity returned to Mari's eyes.

"No you won't! Tell me now!" Another prolonged silence followed. She held both hands in front of her and gazed between them. She made a fist with her left hand and attempted the same with her right. She could not move her fingers. "I did this." She uttered weakly. Link held his breath as he strode forward and knelt in front of her. She could only stare at the floor as emotions danced across her eyes. "I've made myself useless."

She gasped lightly as Link was pulling her boots from under the cot and began lacing them up her feet.

"I'm not leaving you behind. Not after all we've done together," he stated simply, leaving her dumbfounded. They both knew the danger they would be facing. He smiled cheekily up at her. "Are you coming along, or should I carry you?" She flashed him another angry look as she got to her feet.

"I can walk!" And she stamped her foot heatedly to prove her point. His grin widened, though behind it all, he was holding back a flow of emotion he felt toward this girl. She sat back, a little winded from getting up so quickly.

"I'm glad you're back with us." Her tense shoulders sagged the slightest bit, he noted. "Now let's get going. Our friends are depending on us."

0000

_'The one scar I regret, and I did it to myself,'_ she thought darkly. They had wrapped her hand back up before they left. She felt a dull ache in her heart at losing the function of her right hand, her dominant hand. How could she defend herself? She didn't even understand why Link wanted her to come along for this fight. She was right, she'd be useless.

They were halfway to the forest and not a word had been passed between the two. Marickiya was riding in front of Link on Epona. He had suggested she ride with him knowing it would be difficult to ride fast. Not being able to even ride her own horse was pushing her over the edge. Link couldn't help but notice the sadness emanating from her, but didn't know how to cheer her up. He decided on trying to keep her mind off of what she couldn't do.

"What exactly did your book say?" He said to her. He eased Epona from her full speed so that they could hear each other. "About the Triforce?"

"A lot," she replied. He could hear the lump in her throat that she was pushing down. "When someone who is in possession of a piece of the Triforce dies, that piece finds the next of kin. That's how I found out that the child has it." His plan to keep her focus away from her injury seemed to have worked. He could feel her sitting up a little straighter and her voice held a small amount of delight at knowing something that no one else until then had known.

"You make it sound like there's more to it." He offered to keep her talking.

"Yes. The process of obtaining a Triforce piece is very complex. There are a lot of rules," she simplified. "For instance, it isn't possible for one person to hold two pieces at once. The power is too much, and would destroy them." At this Link made a revelation.

"That makes sense. When I had to face Ganondorf before he was sealed, he took the Princess Zelda to his castle and held her captive. He didn't take the piece from her." He explained. Mari looked somber.

"He probably knew what would happen. If he had tried to take it, they both would have died. It is only when all three Triforce piece holders are gathered that the Triforce can become whole again." She said. Link furrowed his brow.

"Wait, I heard you say that both would have died if he had taken the Triforce piece of Wisdom from Zelda." He recounted. Marickiya nodded in affirmation.

"That's right. To forcefully take someone's piece you have to overcome their will. Taking her piece would have exerted all her power and killed her. Then having two pieces inside him would have, in turn, destroyed him." She said. Link was lost in thought for a moment. This was a lot to take in. It explained so much, but it also posed a problem for them currently.

"If he knows he will die if he tries to take Wisdom right now, then his plan is to abduct the baby." Link deliberated. "We can't let him do that." Marickiya agreed with him.

"There's something else. Even though you can't take a piece of the Triforce, it can still be passed from one to another." Mari added.

"How does that work?" Link wondered aloud.

"A holder can willingly give their piece to a new host, but they, in the current holder's eyes, must have a pure spirit."

"That's what we will do then." When Mari turned to ask him how they were going to find someone like that, Link had a decisive look about him and she elected not to question him. _'I guess we'll figure it out when we get there,' _she thought. When it was clear there would be no more conversation, Link urged Epona to go faster.

In record time, they had crested the last hill and a rather gruesome display unfolded in front of them. Bodies of moblins littered the landscape. Amongst them, Vaati was still fighting fiercely, his thin sword in one hand and various types of magical attacks expelled from the other. There was still a considerable amount of enemies all attacking at once. He was amazingly holding his own.

As they approached and became close enough to see his face, Link and Vaati locked eyes for a split second, an understanding passing between them. His attention was quickly returned to the fight, and Link pushed Epona past the battle.

"What are you doing?" Marickiya shouted. "Shouldn't we help him?" She was unaware of the communication that happened amidst her companions.

"He can handle it. We need to go on ahead." Link shouted back. She turned back to watch Vaati fending for himself. She tensed as she saw a moblin take a swipe at the mage's back, though strangely Vaati didn't stagger in the slightest, and turned to remove the offending enemy's head from its body. Though not entirely reassured, she re-affixed her attention to the tunnel that they were heading through.

Once across the wooden bridge and through a second tunnel, Link stopped his steed, who was looking rather winded. He cooed some gentle words of gratitude to the beast, then they dismounted and started towards where Mari knew the Great Deku Sprout resided.

"How are we going to find someone for Zelda to give the piece to?" Mari was legitimately curious about it. Link just stared on ahead.

"I'm working on it." He offered vaguely. Marickiya, behind him, threw her hands up in the air in an irate manner. He didn't even have a plan!

As they made their way towards the east side of the village, a small green haired girl appeared at the entrance to the sacred meadow. She greeted them when they were close enough for conversation.

"Hello friends! I am glad to see you, even if it is under such dangerous circumstances." Saria said sweetly. Link smiled genuinely.

"It's good to see you, too," he said. She turned and lead them down the winding path.

"Saria!" called a voice from behind them as they entered the grotto of the Deku Tree. "Saria, what's-" the boy ran up to them excitedly and stopped to stare at the tall people standing in front of him. His face lit up. "Guys, what are you all doing here?"

"Hiya, Mido." Link greeted amiably. He smiled back but then noticed the grim air that hung around his friend's faces.

"Is everything alright?" he asked. Nobody answered.

"Come, everyone." The Deku Sprout beckoned them closer. The four made their way across the clearing, alit by the little sunlight that managed to peek through the Old Deku Tree's branches. Each step they took aroused a tuft of tiny sparkling lights to dance around their ankles that belonged to the young fairies before they grew wings. The Deku Sprout waited until all four of them were lined up before him, waiting. "Tell me, what brings you three here to my home?" Link found the question odd. Surely it could feel Ganondorf's approach.

"The enemy is at your door. They are here for the Princess." He announced. The silence was deep and pressed in after his statement. Mido gasped lightly.

"Why is that I wonder?" Again, Link found it strange, and nearly annoying, that the Sprout would act as if it had no idea of what was happening. The Deku Tree never acted so coy. Something was itching his thoughts.

"You..." Link began putting that itch into words, "Are already aware of who holds the Triforce piece of Wisdom." Saria and Mari both turned to Link, then back to the Sprout who hadn't said a word of denial or affirmation. "You knew before any of us. You knew when it happened."

_'I know many things. Mine and my forbearer's roots run very far.' _The memory of her night with the Sprout entered Mari's mind. The Sprout seemed to stretch it's bark even more into a wider grin.

"You are correct, Young Hero," it said. "I did not say, not even to the Sages, for that was the best way to keep this secret hidden. Ganondorf could not possibly know where a Triforce piece was unless its power resonated with his. That can only happen when it is in use. The Princess would not use the piece, and so was safe."

Mari was feeling sick to her stomach. She was the first one besides the Sprout to know of the baby's secret. Ganondorf now knew because of her, because Lana had sifted through her memories to find a weakness and found so much more. Her guilt must have shown on her face. The Sprout addressed her next.

"I am sure you are aware of your part in this plan's undoing now, Marickiya of the Desert," it said to her. She bowed low in reverence.

"I am. I have no excuse." She stated to the ground. Link looked toward her with a concerned expression. He had a feeling he knew what was going on. He wanted to comfort Mari. To tell her she could not have known this would happen. The Sprout beat him to it. A single vine slithered to her and lifted her up by her chin back to her standing position.

"Now is not the time for apologies or guilt. You have much more to learn. It's time to move on with what fate has offered us." Mari stood, seemingly holding her breath, but also looking a bit relieved. Link took that at his cue to take charge of the conversation.

"We have discovered a way to remove the Princess from danger. If we find someone who she deems pure, she would willingly give up the Triforce piece she holds." Link explained. He turned to Saria, "I was thinking you could give it a try." Saria raised her eyebrows.

"Link, I don't think that's a good idea." She stated simply. His face fell.

"Why not?" He asked, almost childlike. "Of all people, I thought you would be most pure." The Kokiri blushed.

"That isn't the problem." She said quietly. "I don't think I can do it, Link." She said softly and yet with finality. Before he could say anything about just trying, Mido spoke up.

"Maybe I could try. I'm not really sure what's going on, but I want to help!"

Link and Saria both turned to the boy. Saria smiled sweetly at him and Link gave him a long look. He had never considered his childhood bully for this task, though his list of candidates wasn't very long in the first place. Looking at Mido just then, seeing his bright face looking to his friends, something he had recently come to value more than anything, he knew that this boy would probably be considered worthy in the baby's eyes.

He couldn't do that to him.

He knelt down in front of Mido, adopting a serious face. "It is very noble of you to volunteer for this." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't want to put you in any danger." Mido made a face when he realized what Link was saying.

"If I can help I want to! I don't care about the danger." He said. "You're treating me like a child. I'm older than you, Link!" Link raised his eyebrows and Saria stifled a giggle.

Marickiya looked on fondly at the three green clad figures. It was truly wonderful simply being near Link and his friends. Such a divergence to what she grown to know. She would have been perfectly content with watching them had the thought of Ganondorf's fast approach not interrupted her musings. She was debating on bringing this to everyone else's attention when something brushed her arm. She looked down to see the same vine from earlier hovering next to her. Moving on it's own, it snaked under her fingers and lifted her hand, leading her.

_'Come,' _a voice said between her ears. She did not recognize the voice, but obeyed nonetheless. It wasn't just the command that she was following, it was the familiarity of the invitation. She took a short walk at the vine's guidance past the Deku Sprout who looked as if it were giving her a knowing smile. Just behind the Sprout, nestled at the base of the late Deku Tree's roots, was the infant Princess who was looking up at her with curious eyes.

Link was the first to notice Marickiya's detachment from the group. He stopped speaking mid-sentence and stood to watch as she was led away.

"Link?" Saria asked of him but then she too quieted when she saw what was happening.

"How goes things?" Vaati had appeared then at their side just as Mari knelt out of sight behind the Deku Sprout.

"I take it you finished up outside?" Link asked casually.

"Yes. I offer my gratitude for your assistance." He replied sarcastically. Link grinned at hearing more of Mari's influential mockery in his words.

"I figured you could handle it," he nudged the mage with his elbow. Vaati smirked in return.

"You were correct." He said smugly.

Marickiya came back into view then and Link was mildly surprised to see the Princess cradled in her arms, although it was not altogether unexpected. He saw her smile sweetly at the infant and thought she looked all too motherly for her own good. A sort of serenity washed over him; he thought he knew what was about to happen.

"What is she doing?" Vaati made to step forward towards Mari but Link placed a hand on his arm to still him.

"Hold on," he said softly. Vaati eyed him quizzically but remained where he was and returned his gaze to the Gerudo.

A brilliant golden light suddenly erupted from where she stood. Although it was very bright, none of them felt the need to shield their eyes from it. They watched in varying states of alarm and wonder as Mari's eyes were enveloped in the light, like a presence was coming over her.

Link felt a tingling sensation on the back of his hand that he had experienced only once before. He didn't have to look to know what it was but he brought his hand to eye level, grabbing the attention of those close to him. The same glowing that emanated from Mari was also shining in the form of the Triforce there, the portion that signified Courage was filled in.

The power of both pieces resonating in the others presence could be felt by every creature within the forest. Vaati worried that there were plenty outside of the boundary of trees that could feel it as well.

The light dimmed until everything seemed darker than before the exchange had taken place. Every living thing that had stopped to witness this event began moving about again. Marickiya took a confused look around at everyone staring at her.

"Wh-what's going on? Why are you all looking at me like that?" The baby she held let out a light little laugh and she looked down as if she suddenly realized she was there.

"The Princess has deemed you worthy to hold the Triforce piece of Wisdom." The Deku Sprout announced happily. Marickiya, still with a look of bewilderment, glanced down at the joyful baby she held who was grabbing at her fingers. She relinquished them to the Princess' whim and saw the proof of what the Sprout had said in the form of a shining Triforce on the back of her hand. She gasped lightly.

"I don't see how that's possible." She breathed.

Everyone was suddenly pulled from their reverie at the new development by a pained scream. Mari jumped and held the Princess closer to her in reaction and Link put a hand to the hilt of the Master Sword. It took them all a second to realize that Vaati had been the one to let out the yell; he was on his hands and knees and shook slightly.

Mari trotted over to her friends, Saria offering to take the baby off of her hands, and she and Link knelt next to their companion. He lifted his head at their arrival and revealed a nasty slice across his face. Marickiya gasped.

"Ganondorf is here. He is knocking on the barrier I placed on the forest entrance." He was already standing and his magic was doing its work of putting his face back together. He wiped the blood that had fallen into his eyes.

"Looks like we don't have a choice but to answer," Link said.

"Be careful," called a worried Saria to their retreating backs. She and Mido watched them walk away with anxiety etched into their faces...

Marickiya was feeling sick. For so many years of her life, she had lived under the rule and tyranny of the man they were about to face. Then she recently learned of his misdeeds in Hyrule which made her own experiences seem so insignificant in comparison. This evil man was powerful. What could she do to defy him? She questioned even more Link's decision to include her in this little excursion. They surely had a fight on their hands. She could feel herself beginning to tremble.

She felt something nudge at her hand, and then fingers creeping around her own. She looked down to find a pale hand holding hers. It gave a gentle reassuring squeeze. She looked up to Vaati's face and saw him staring straight ahead resiliently. Then his hand slipped from hers.

Marickiya settled down her breathing, feeling quite foolish. How could she react so cowardly now? Even if she wasn't able to do much, she would support her companions regardless. She had to be strong in her weakness. Vaati had simply reminded her that they were there for her, too.

They had cleared the boundary of trees and found themselves in the midst of what once was a battlefield. The Moblins that Vaati had single-handedly taken out were strewn about in differing positions of their last moments. Everything was quiet save for the whistling of the wind.

"You defeated all of these monsters? All on your own?" Marickiya whispered.

"You sound surprised." Vaati offered back and her cheeks colored a bit. Link looked over at the two of them. Where he once would have been annoyed at an exchange like this, he extended his own addition to the conversation.

"You should have seen him at the village the day you were attacked." He said.

Before Marickiya could further entertain the distraction, movement caught all of their eyes. A brilliant blue flame was enveloping one of the deceased moblins in the center of the carnage. They watched, all tense and with hands at their weapons, as the moblin's corpse burned into nothing. The flame didn't touch the grass, it simply petered out once there wasn't any more flesh for it to consume. They didn't have to wait long before another flame erupted upon more and more of their former enemies until all of them were aflame. They watched them all burn to cinders, unnerved. Then a slow haunting laugh chilled them all to their cores, echoing and reverberating around their surroundings.

The owner of the laugh, none other than the detestable Ganondorf, appeared at last. He kept his distance from the entrance where they stood, all ready for an attack. Ganondorf was the first the speak.

"Well," he began candidly, "Isn't this a reunion for the ages." The tall and dark man licked his lips in anticipation.

It was a bit of a stand off. Ganondorf looked between his adversaries that stood between him and his query, all tensed and ready to hash it out. If what his source said was true, the late Princess' child that resided within the protective trees of the forest possessed the missing Triforce piece of Wisdom. However, judging from the surge of power he felt from his own Triforce piece of Power not too long ago, something had happened to it. He didn't think the infant could figure out how to use the Triforce's power. His only other guess was that the Hero of Time had somehow figured out how to get the kid to hand it over. It wouldn't be with Link. No, it had to be with one of his companions...  
>"So which one of you now bears Wisdom, I wonder." He deliberated slowly. Link looked even more fierce at his words. His guess was correct. "I could make you tell me, but that would cost me a bit of effort."<p>

With a leering grin, he lifted his right hand, displaying for them the back of it where an outline of the Triforce was beginning to glow.

It was useless to try and resist, Link knew what was coming. He felt the burning on his own hand and knew that his Triforce piece couldn't help reacting again. He fruitlessly looked to Mari who's gasp told him that she was also experiencing a similar phenomenon for the first time. Ganon's attention was solely on her now.  
><em>'Well, well,'<em> he thought to himself, _'The failed experiment. What an interesting development.' _  
>"If you would be so kind and hand over the Triforce piece, I'll be on my way."<p>

"That isn't happening," Link declared loudly, and he drew out his sword as a sign of resistance. Ganondorf cackled then redirected his attention. "Marickiya of my own tribe. Wouldn't you like to retake your place at my side?" Not eliciting a response, he continued. "I could give you powers you've never know. I could even remedy your little," he paused for a second, "Disability."

He relished in Marickiya's shocked expression as she held her right hand to her chest. The mage was the first to step in front of the girl and shield her from view with Link quickly following suit. He expected as such.

What an annoying situation. He could not simply kill the girl now, as was his former plan. She had a piece of the Triforce and he didn't feel like going on another hunt to locate it. If he attempted to capture her, he'd have a fight on his hands. As painful as it was to admit even to himself, he was not yet strong enough to take on the mage. He wouldn't make it out unscathed, let alone with the girl. He was thinking over his options.

Marickiya and Link's become solely focused within his vision. Something was familiar about the two of them standing beside one another. He racked his brain for exactly why he felt that way, the reason just beyond his reach. Then...

The trio were a little put off when Ganondorf suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter. He was literally holding his sides from laughing so hard. They looked between themselves, quite perplexed, but still on guard.

"Something has been made so abundantly clear to me just now." He said through his guffaws. "Oh gods, you are really going to get a kick out of this." He quieted himself enough to clear his throat. "Let me tell you a little story.

"Once upon a time, there was a woman and her knight husband. The woman was special, as a prophecy had been made about her," he began, still grinning maliciously. "A prophecy that said she was the beginning of a line of heroes."

Marickiya gasped rather loudly, gaining the attention of her two companions momentarily before Ganondorf continued.

"Though special, she was rather foolish. Her foolishness led her to be taken from her home," he said. Then he leered viciously.

"No," Mari breathed, "Not like this."

"She was brought before someone who had been searching for her. You see, he had a plan, and didn't want this prophecy getting in the way of it.

"Knowing she had already birthed a son, the man decided a good countermeasure to the 'hero' was to have her birth a child just for him. Ah, but some good plans have to go to waste." He was giddy again as he looked between Link and Marickiya. "It seems that his little experiment had acquired a mind of her own and united with her long lost brother, who had grown up to greatly resemble his father, against her creator. How touching."

Link was stunned into silence. What Ganondorf was saying, that he was related... It couldn't be true. How could it? He glanced back at Marickiya. Tears flowed down her face and she would not make eye contact with him. She... had known. She knew. And now he knew as well. His breath deserted him. He felt sick to his stomach and at first could not comprehend why. Then he realized the implications of how Mari came to be. Was this the reason his family was gone? He felt the color drain from his face and he looked away from Mari. He stared wide eyed toward the ground and clutched at his chest.

Ganondorf's renewed laughter brought his attention back to their enemy.

"Oh my, did I hit a nerve?" He shouted callously and doubled up again.

While the others were distracted, Vaati could feel it, the accumulating magical energy. It was like the air that was charged just before a lightning strike. Assuming this surge of power was emanating from their enemy, he was about to adopt a defensive stance. But then, he realized the energy was not coming from Ganondorf. No, it was much closer. The hairs on the back of Vaati's neck tingled.

Just as the realization hit him, Mari suddenly reared her arm back and threw something hard in the King's direction. It was quicker than the eye could follow, there was a flash and Ganondorf's taunts ceased abruptly as that something Mari had thrown exploded near his face causing blood to erupt from his left shoulder. Screams of outrage replaced his merriment.

Before anyone had time to react, Vaati sensed Mari was about to attack again. In the mere seconds he had before she let out another blast of wild magic, he could feel the pressure, like all matter was being drawn into the spot where Mari stood. She was about to unleash something big.

Without time to explain, he took to the air and rushed towards Link.

"Va-oomf!" was the only thing that came from Link's mouth when the sorcerer lunged forward, grabbed Link around the midriff, and flew skyward.

He had expected the worst, but it turned out to be so much more. The eruption was catastrophically loud and just the sound was enough to knock them a bit farther as he used his own sorcery to propel himself and Link out of harms way. More than any of his usual senses could perceive, he felt with every fiber of his being just how powerful an attack Marickiya had released. He didn't even think of stopping his ascent until he was sure it was over.

When magical energies were no longer present, Vaati finally slowed and came to hover in the air, maneuvering Link to hang from one arm so that they could both view the wreckage. They had stopped several hundred feet above where they had left Marickiya, able to see much of eastern Hyrule field including the outskirts of Lon Lon Ranch's village.

The dirt was settling, revealing a ruinous display. Behind where Mari had fired her attack was flattened. Devoid of grass, the shock wave's path led all the way to the forests' edge where a few trees had been partially uprooted.

The true desolation lay ahead. The earth had shifted apart as the severity of the magical attack tore through the air. Where it had hit its target, Ganondorf, a crater now resided as wide as the castle market and just as deep. The silence was unnerving.

The dust was almost completely cleared when Vaati decided it was safe to descend back to the decimated earth. When they touched down, Link seemed to be regaining his wits. A scowl displaced his shock.

"That wasn't enough." he said quietly. Vaati couldn't help but agree. As destructive as that was, they weren't dealing with anything that amounted to normal when it came to Ganondorf.

"What was all that about? What he was saying about Marickiya," Link's scowl deepened, "And you?" he finished hesitantly. He felt the need to divert, there would be time later for that subject, preferably when Marickiya was present. He took a sweeping look around for the girl.

"How long has she been able to use magic?" Vaati asked. When his gaze rested once more on Link's face, he noted that he had the same enraged expression Mari had worn before she started firing magic.

"I don't know." He replied slowly, yet curtly. Vaati pressed his mouth into a thin line. This wasn't the time to converse with Link, apparently.

A faint moan reached their ears and they both turned and rushed to the listing trees behind them. It wasn't long before they spotted her lying on her side among some of the roots. She'd been thrown back by the ferocity of her own spell. The two approached her prone form, but Vaati stopped in his tracks within a few feet of their fallen comrade, unsure of himself. Residual energy emanated from her being in waves. He didn't understand why it unsettled him, but it did and kept him from approaching further. Link who hadn't stopped, was already kneeling beside the girl and checking her over. He seemed fittingly worried, but his frown never left him.

"We should get her back to the forest until she wakes up." Link hefted her out of the dirt, much like he had a few days prior in the Kakariko graveyard. Vaati wasn't keen on dwelling on that particular memory just then. He could only nod as he followed Link farther into the trees. "Looks like we have a lot of talking to do," he heard the Hylian say in an aggrieved voice. Vaati agreed silently with his statement and the emotion behind it.


	15. Chapter 15

Exacting Truths

The forest was not quiet. Between the crunching leaves under his feet, the birds chirping above him, and the unknown moving about him, silence had become a foreign concept. Still he pressed on, continuing his trek. At least he was on his own and left to his thoughts for once.

It wasn't that he disliked the company of Link and Marickiya, it had simply been awhile since he had some time to himself. It was a bit refreshing he had to admit, even with the noise of the forest bearing down on him.

Vaati was on a walk through the trees that skirted the entrance to the Kokiri village. He had been warned by Link that if he was to wander, outside the village was the best place to go. He said that there was another area called the Lost Woods and that it was easy to get lost there. Then he rambled on about going in there once and accidentally discovering an entirely different land but that it was a story for another time. Vaati, though intrigued by Link's partially told tale, decided it was indeed best to remain close to the village. He left Link and an unconscious Mari inside one of the Kokiri's houses while he went off on his own.

If he was honest with himself, he was a bit nervous. He did not suspect, even slightly, that Marickiya possessed any magic within her. He could always sense the magical signature that came from someone with those kinds abilities. Never, not once, did he sense anything like that from her. Yet her power was great, awesome...

And destructive.

That particular trait was what had put him on edge. She had nearly effortlessly demolished a rather large portion of eastern Hyrule field. How could she have hid this much power from him since they first met? Was it possible he was afraid of her now? No, that was not the case.

He feared the possibility of her becoming his enemy.

He shook himself of the thought. That wasn't possible. Her soul was pure, untainted by the jealousy and hatred of those she grew up with. If there was one thing he was certain of, it was her goodness.

On the same coin, though, there had to be a reason for this sudden outburst. Recounting the events of their brush with Ganondorf, he started connecting some details. For starters, he didn't detect any dark magic. What he did feel from her at the time of the attack was rage, sadness. He guessed that her emotional state was what caused her to explode like she did. That brand of magic was something he was familiar with. So, he had an idea of why it happened, now he needed a 'how'.

As if to answer his quandary, a thought struck him suddenly and he nearly stumbled. She never displayed any kind of magical power before this moment. It wasn't until immediately after receiving the Triforce piece did she suddenly have this ability. She could be utilizing the power of the Triforce! He wanted to laugh at himself for not thinking of that sooner. He breathed a sigh of relief. Then caught himself.

Why was he feeling this way? Alleviated and... happy? He was joyed at the thought of Marickiya not being his target. Well, why wouldn't he be happy at that? Wasn't she his friend?

He slowed his pace, eventually coming to a stop beside a young sapling. He placed a hand on the bark and traced its intricate designs with his finger, distracted. There was another feeling, sitting quietly in the back of his mind. It had been there a while, waiting patiently for the time to come forward. All other emotion cleared away, presenting for it the opportunity.

In the quiet, it stood resolutely, unnamed. He didn't know what it was. But it _was_. It felt good. It was desire, anxiety, bliss, belonging... All wrapped up in a convenient package. _Oh_.

"Stop." He said out loud. His emotions became overtaken by anger. He allowed it, if only to shut out all other sensations that were previously running rampant. How abhorrent! How could it have gotten this far without him realizing? He was mentally kicking himself.

He refused to acknowledge it. That there was anything more than camaraderie between himself and her. It could not happen. It wouldn't.

He breathed out through his nose to calm his erratic mind. There was no longer any need to press the matter. It was done with. Unnecessary... Many moments passed as he composed himself and cycled through his earlier musings to avoid dwelling on how he was feeling. Clearing his consciousness of anything besides his purpose for visiting this era, it was slowly becoming a possibility that Marickiya could be a threat. And no matter what he did, however angry he got, this possibility pained him.

He really needed to speak with the girl, to be sure. He wanted, almost desperately, for her to erase any of his doubts like only she could. As urgently as he needed this confirmation, he respected Link's request to talk to her first. After what they heard from Ganondorf, he couldn't imagine what the Hylian must be feeling just then...

0000

Marickiya opened her eyes. She was looking up at a ceiling she didn't recognize as she took into account what had happened. Besides a little beaten and bruised, she actually felt rather rejuvenated. The best she'd felt all day, in fact. Physically, anyway.

Memories were flooding into her mind, starting with what happened several days prior. She had been ambushed by Lana and buried in the Kakariko cemetery. That had been quite an ordeal. She could remember clearly the suffocation she felt, the pain, the terror, when she was buried feet beneath the earth. She wouldn't be able to fall asleep willingly in the dark for a while to come.

She could also remember what Vaati had done. There was a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach as she realized he had seen her past. He knew everything. She was completely bare to him now. That thought frightened her like nothing else. What would he think of her? She didn't want to get up from where she was. She didn't want to face anyone, unsure if she even could.

She noticed another with her in the room and decided it probably wasn't the best idea to continue lying there. She sat up and looked around. Then she spotted Link sitting on a stump by the opening that counted as a door, hunched forward, his mouth hidden by his hands. He didn't look happy. The burning she felt before turned into a sinking feeling as the rest of her memory caught up to the moment. A stunned feeling cascaded through her body, then she swallowed hard.

"Link-" she tried to begin. Link held up one of his hands.

"No." He said forcefully. He kept the other hand hiding his mouth, making it difficult to gauge the anger she knew he must be feeling. "I will start."

They were quiet. Mari felt paralyzed. When he didn't say anything else for a few minutes, she slowly edged herself into a sitting position at the edge of the tiny bed she'd been laid out on. It was dark in the small hut even though there was daylight coming from outside the open doorway.

"Did you know?" She knew this question would come first.

"Yes," she quietly said without hesitation. The disappointed breath he let out through his nose hurt her deeply.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"You know why," she said with even less of a voice, "For the same reason that you're angry now." He finally moved his hands and placed them on his knees. He appeared as if his were steadying himself, his knuckles as white as the tights he was gripping. The frown he revealed made her heart plummet faster.

"You're right. I am angry." He growled. She held in a breath and her chest was tight. She knew this was inevitable from the moment the Deku Tree Sprout told her about her past. "I am so _sick _of people keeping things from me to _protect_ me." He said viciously. That... wasn't what she expected him to say, though it was still a painful thing to hear.

"Tell me everything. Now. And you will _not _leave anything out." Mari let out a shaky breath and tried to hold back the tears she could feel knocking on the doors of her eyes.

"When we came here that one night with the Princess, I-" she swallowed again to compose herself. She wanted to get it all out right then. "The Deku Sprout called me to him in the night. He said he could answer any questions I might have. I asked if he knew who my parents were and he told me..." she trailed off. Her breath was catching again as she relived the visions the Sprout had shown her.

"What?" Link asked. She smiled sadly.

"He told me that you and I share a mother." The tears came down in waves. She couldn't stop them. "He showed me. She was so beautiful." At this point, her voice took on an edge. She was angry. "I also saw what happened to her, how I came to be. Ganondorf sought her for a prophecy that was made about her, about you," Her face fell into her hands. Sobs came through as she spoke her next words. "I really had no idea how to tell you, you who had not known your parents, that your mother was ripped from her happy life to be desecrated so terribly. He took her away from you and your father and when he was done, when I was born, he just threw her away." She took deep steadying breaths before she could say her next words. "They tried to flee Hyrule, to get help. But they were attacked and your father was killed, only allowing her to escape with you." That was all she managed to get out before she hugged herself tightly, a hand clasped over her mouth in an attempt to fight back the sobs that were easily escaping.

She heard him get up from his seat. She looked up to see him standing before her. For a moment fear coursed through her, not knowing what he was planning on doing.

Then he pulled her to her feet and embraced her in his strong arms. She was choking back her surprise. But then was overcome by the gesture he was showing. She buried her face in his chest and cried.

Everything that weighed so heavily on her was suddenly, indiscriminately lifting. It was like Link wasn't just holding her while she wept, but also tearing down all the worries that had plagued her for so long. She let it all go.

"I'm so sorry," she cried, muffled by his tunic.

"Marickiya, I do not blame you for anything." This statement almost had her melting again.  
>"But- but I killed her. I thought-"<p>

"That isn't true." He pulled away to look her in the eyes to show his sincerity. "No matter what he did, no matter how you got here, none of it was your fault." He smiled sweetly. "You are my family."

"You don't hate me?" she asked. His smile widened.

"I don't hate you." And he finally got her to smile back. "Just don't hide things from me." She fell once more into his arms and he felt her nod fervently.

0000

They hadn't brought that much with them so it wasn't long before they were saying their goodbyes to Mido and Saria and heading out of the forest. Vaati had returned to the group as he saw the others looking ready to head out at the forest entrance. He mentally took note of the lift in tension between the other two. Perhaps they had sorted out their little affair. He was eager to begin questioning Marickiya and had opened his mouth in order to do just that.

"I want to go see the Sages."

She cut across him. He wasn't sure she even noticed he was about to speak. As much as it annoyed him, he also found it somewhat amusing. It was like she hadn't been missing in action for the last few days, she just settled back into her role in the group. He caught himself becoming a little too delighted at her quick recovery. Adopting a passive face, he looked to Link who was responding to Marickiya.

"A-alright," he absently straightened his hat, caught off-guard by Mari's sudden request, "Impa did say she would get back to us. Let's go meet them at the ranch."

Link was helping Marickiya onto the back of Epona again when he noticed Vaati standing on the ground looking up at the two of them expectantly.

"Would you like to meet us up ahead?" he asked. Vaati shook his head.

"I would prefer to walk. I have a matter to discuss with Marickiya." Link's eyes widened a bit. He had forgotten about Vaati's request to speak with Mari as well. He looked back at her and she shrugged.

"Okay," she said, hopping down from the horse. Now that travel arrangements were established, the three were on their way.

Considering all they had accomplished, it was still only about mid morning when they exited the boundary of trees and into the field. They stopped for a moment and Marickiya gaped when she got a good look at the crater she'd created.

"I did this." She whispered, awestruck.

"Do you remember when it happened." Vaati asked of her. She only nodded, still drinking in the scene. It made her a little sad that she had messed up the field so bad. Still, she could not get over the fact that this enormous display of magic came from her.

"I will assume that you have never been able to do anything like that before." She tore her eyes away from the field and locked onto Vaati.

"That's right." She stated. Why was he questioning her about all this? It was a fairly fascinating new development, she admitted. But the tone of voice he was using to discuss it wasn't that of curiosity. He was serious, critical. When Vaati first declared wanting to speak with her, she was sure it was about her past. She was beginning to realize that something else was on the mage's mind. "Is there something wrong with me?"

Vaati hesitated and that worried her. Something was wrong.

"It is not that." He finally said, halting her in her frantic thoughts. He started walking to skirt around the giant hole and Mari and Link, who sat upon Epona's back still, followed suit. "The way you used magic, without incantations or markings, is much like the way I utilize mine.

"This type of magic is one of the most dangerous." She was listening raptly. "It is very easy to over do it, and can result in injury or death."

She imagined the color draining from her face. What he was saying was that she could have died earlier if she had accidentally used too much of the power she had discovered. As she was thinking about this sobering fact, something else was triggered in the back of her memory.

"Have..." she began and Vaati looked over to her. "Have you had experience with this?" She felt completely wrong asking him this question. It wasn't her business to ask. Still, she was overly curious about if she was correct in her guess.

He knew why she was asking. She had seen it. He didn't want to reveal this secret he tried so hard to keep under wraps, and he felt selfish for it. He knew practically everything about her. Before he could change his mind, he convinced himself that it would be a good testament to what he was trying to teach her.

He looked away from her, not wanting to see her reaction. Without fail, he always received sickeningly pitying looks and he couldn't handle seeing one from her. He would not allow his hand to falter as he brought it towards his face and moved the hair that covered his right eye.

Marickiya was quiet as he did this, watching passively. Before, on the first night that Vaati had stayed in their house, she only caught a glimpse of what she now guessed was the result of misuse of his magic. She noted that his jaw was clenched and his expression stony. He didn't want to show her. It was too late to protest, though.

It wasn't a pretty sight, but she held her gaze. Her eyes were watering just looking at it. The skin appeared as if it had been seared off. A milky whiteness enveloped his right eye, leaving it blank and hollow. It was quite a scar.

"You're blind," she breathed. At that point she was more impressed than anything. He was a very seasoned swordsman for being blind on one side. Vaati let his hair fall back over the wound, still looking distant. Marickiya looked up at Link, noticing he was paying close attention to their conversation. His own face showed that of marvel and admiration, he was just as impressed as she was. She smiled to herself.

"You're pretty amazing. I had no idea that you were blind. You carry yourself like you're not." She sucked in a breath, wondering if he would accept her compliment, hoping he wouldn't take it wrong.

"I have learned to live with what I am given." He said. She let out her breath quietly and couldn't help but smile again.

"So what do you do to keep things like that from happening?" She was trying to revert to the original subject. He visibly perked up and followed her lead.

"You need an object to channel your magic through." He said simply. Marickiya thought she knew what he might be talking about.

"You mean like you're earring?"

She gave him that same sardonic look she had when it was first brought up. He turned to her with the intent on retaliating to her curt statement. He wanted to, but he stopped. She was looking ahead, maybe she wasn't expecting him to say anything. Whatever he was going to say died on his tongue. He was staring at Marickiya's ear that was exposed by the breeze. There was something there he never noticed before and it made him feel foolish. It was a split in her lobe where an earring might have once been...

She did have earrings at one point, and they had been ripped out. He set his mouth to a thin line. He wouldn't be giving in to her jabs this time.

"Yes," he swallowed hard, pushing down the anger that was growing within him. Was this... pity? He wouldn't have the pity of others, but it was right for him to pity them? How revolting.

He was angry. At himself for his unruly emotions, and at those who relished in the torture of the innocent. How could they beat and belittle someone for having different parentage? It was unbelievably evil. This, coming from someone who once tried to overtake a kingdom by turning its people to stone. He shook his head. He needed to rid himself of these thoughts.

Marickiya spared a glance in Vaati's direction. Her stomach dropped when she noticed the anger that was flashing over his face. She knew she had made her comment in a rather crass manner, but she hadn't meant to anger him. She didn't know what to say. Vaati spoke before she could find her words.

"There are, of course, other means," he said. Mari gave him her full attention and nearly stumbled. The anger she saw a few seconds ago had vanished. He was completely and convincingly passive. She blinked several times. "Like you mentioned before, there are also wands and staves. Or, like mine, you could use something that houses stones. A ring, for instance." He wanted to give her another option to detract from the delicate subject.

"A ring sounds nice," she mumbled more to herself. She perked up a little. "Will you help me find and make one?" she asked him. His lip twitched before he gave in to the grin.

"That was my intention." he said, and she was looking rather delighted. "For now, you should try to refrain from using magic until you have a way to control it."

Their conversation after that was more lighthearted and centered on the creation of her ring. She was very curious about how her magic was going to work. It made her excited to soon be able to do the amazing things that Vaati and Link could do. Her questions carried on all the way to the entrance to Lon Lon, where they all halted.  
>The ranch town was quieter than they'd ever seen it. Very few people roamed the streets which was a stark contrast to the weeks they spent in the small thriving town in the past. The three of them found it all rather odd.<p>

"I wonder where everyone is," Marickiya mumbled. Link shrugged, intent on getting to the main house of the ranch town.

"They might all be inside. Just taking a day off or something," he said as he started off down the main road. Mari agreed and set off after him. Vaati didn't find it necessary to point out, since he could see into the houses that they walked past with his magic, that they were actually all empty. It didn't seem important to him, just strange.

Though there weren't many stalls open with such a lack of people, they did manage to locate an open jewelry vendor. Marickiya was immediately drawn in.

She gave the display of shining and polished objects a sweeping glance. She didn't want something too extravagant, just small and simple, yet subtly pretty. Her eyes locked onto a copper stone set flush against a silver band. Perfect.

"How about this one?" Mari asked of Vaati quietly. He examined it briefly, then nodded his approval. She smiled happily.

"How much for this?" she quickly asked the vendor, who looked all too happy to have a customer on a day like this.

"Twenty rupees, ma'am," he responded, whistling through a few missing teeth. While Mari fidgeted around in her coin pouch, Vaati was already laying down a single red rupee of his own. She froze, looking between him and the money. He had caught her off guard.

"Thank you kindly, sir." The man whistled again as Vaati turned away, leaving Mari to continue gawking uncharacteristically. She always had a quip for every occasion, but she was left speechless and blushing madly. It took her a second to realize Link and Vaati were leaving her behind. She trotted quickly after them to catch up.

She was trying hard to hide it, but Vaati could see through it. As much as he berated himself for even thinking he might have had feelings for this girl, it pleased him to see her so flustered at the implications of him buying her a ring. It was minor payback for her disdain she had for his earring.

Beside his small victory, he was a bit impressed with her selection. From his training with his former master, he knew a lot about what channeling stones worked best. The particular one she had chosen was one of the best out of all the choices that had been presented. Coincidentally, it was the same type of stone that was in his earring. Maybe she had seen it and picked one of a similar color. Or perhaps she merely chosen her ring because she thought it was pretty. He almost laughed out loud when he realized that that was most likely the reason.

Without the crowds to hinder them, they made it to the main house in record time. Link looked a little excited when they were at the door step. He gave an enthusiastic knock. Within seconds the door was opening, revealing Aine standing behind it. He gave them a welcoming smile.

"Hey guys. Haven't seen you in a while. How's it going?" Mari flashed him a smile to distract him from Link's crestfallen look.

"It's going and never stops, it seems." She responded, giving Link a small nudge. He stepped inside the house with her and Vaati just behind him. When the door closed Link asked the question she guessed was coming.

"Is Malon not here?" He tried to make it sound casual, but Mari had her fingers hiding a knowing grin. No one else noticed her reaction and carried on.

"No, she had to take a trip to the market to clean out the stalls there." Aine explained. Link looked a bit worried.

"Did something happen?" he asked. Aine shook his head.

"She just said all her business was here and she didn't need the market shop anymore." Link 'ah'ed in understanding, though his almost disappointed expression stuck with him. "Were you here to visit her?"

"Oh, no. We came to speak to Impa." Link said, his eyes wandering expectantly to the upstairs door which led to Malon's room, as it was the room the Sage's usually held meetings in.

"None of the Sages are here right now." Link's gaze was back on Aine in a second. "Ruto and Darunia are with their people. They're still rebuilding from Ganondorf's first attack on them." The Sheikah boy began explaining. "Nabooru is investigating the Fortress. There have been some weird rumors of some radicals overtaking the leaders and imprisoning them." Marickiya dropped her giddy demeanor and was looking serious.

"Radicals?" She said. Aine nodded.

"They are showing outward allegiance to their 'King' by establishing dominance over the other Gerudo." He said. Mari was looking distressed so Link redirected the focus of their visit.

"Where is Impa?" Link asked. Aine turned to him. He didn't look like he would answer at first. Link resisted raising an eyebrow.

"I am unsure of her whereabouts." He finally said. Link noted his hesitation, but elected to ignore it for the time being. There was a pause while Aine fidgeted a bit. Link turned to Mari.

"So, what did you need to tell Impa?" he asked of her. Her eyes lit up a bit, she was excited to explain.

"I almost finished translating that book I found." She began and she pulled it from the satchel she had packed before they had left for the forest that morning. "I wanted to ask the Sages about something interesting I found."

"What is it?" Vaati piped up. She was flipping through her notes, looking for the page that held the information she needed.

"I think it's going to help us." She scanned the page she stopped at, taking in its knowledge. The handwriting was a bit messy from the excitement she felt when she found this particular tidbit. "If I read it correctly, I think I found something that can be used to help us defeat Ganondorf."

There were a lot of raised eyebrows at her statement. The silence distracted her from her book and she looked up at her companions.

"Care to expound on that?" Vaati offered. She blinked and then nodded, going back to her notes.

"Remember what we found out when I started this translation project? How Ganondorf is the 'Dark One' who's been banished by the gods?" Link nodded when she looked up at them. Vaati remained quiet, waiting for her to say more.

"Okay, so, the gods knew the allure of the power of the Triforce would bring seekers. There's a legend that says the gods made the Triforce so that when someone, who did not have power, wisdom, and courage balanced in their heart the-"

"It would separate into three parts." Link recited. "'Power, Wisdom and Courage. Only one part will remain for the one who touched the Triforce; the part representing the force that one most believes in.'"

"That's correct," Aine confirmed with a nod. "At least according to the legend passed down by my people."

"Oh," Mari faltered a little. She flipped through some pages and notes she had made in her book. "How much of this legend do you know?" She asked, not taking her eyes from the book. Link looked to Aine who then gave a small shake of his head.

"That's about it, I suppose." He stated. Mari took a second to find what she needed, then excitedly pointed at her notes even though she was the only one who could see what was written in them.

"Alright, then." She gathered her thoughts, trying to summarize what she was reading. "So, the gods knew that with the creation of the powerful Triforce would bring people to search for it. Even Ganondorf would look for it and possibly regain his immorality. So they made a sort of back up plan." She paused to read a few lines before continuing. "They created a vessel that would be able to house Ganon's sealed power when the Triforce is split.

"It is called the Phoenix."

"Hold on one second," Link interrupted, but Mari didn't seem to mind. "The Triforce is split right now, between the two of us and Ganondorf. So, you're saying that the sealed power is already with the vessel, right?" She nodded in excitement, happy that they were on the same page.

"Right." Eyes back on her book, she went on. "That's not all. The vessel can also be used to extract even more of Ganondorf's power, turning him completely mortal and thus, easier to defeat." Everyone had shocked expressions again.

"Are you serious?" Link asked. She smiled widely. "This is awesome! Do you know where it is?" At his question, her smile faded and she looked a little sheepish.

"I, uh," she wavered again, "I haven't completely finished translating that part yet. I'm almost done, though!" she said quickly as Link's enthusiasm was visibly receding. "I could probably finish it right now, if you guys want to wait."

"Well," Link folded his arms over his chest, "We were already waiting for Impa to get back anyway. This would be a good way to kill some time."

All in agreement, Aine led the other three to the upstairs room. Marickiya sat down at the table without another word and immediately set to work scratching away with her quill. The words came to her easily now, since she'd already translated nearly half of the book thus far. She hardly looked over at the reference page.

For the next hour, Mari was buried into her work and Link and Aine spoke animatedly but softly, so as not to disturb her. They mostly talked about fighting styles and the types of weaponry each used. Vaati was lost in his own inner musings, oblivious to the conversation happening across from him. If he didn't have something nagging at him, he might have enjoyed listening in. A little while later, Mari's voice roused him. She had set down her quill, lifting the last sheet she had written upon, and 'Oh'ed quietly.

"It's a person." Link and Aine looked up simultaneously.

"A person?" Link asked blankly. She reread her page again and nodded. Link hummed. "That's going to make them hard to find."

"Not to mention, convincing them to help us. What if they turn out to be a child?" Aine added. Link's face fell again.

"This got a little more complicated." He mumbled. Then he brightened up suddenly. "What if it's the Princess?" He turned excitedly back to Mari. "How do you tell who it is?"

Marickiya wasn't entirely attentive to what Link was saying. She had seen Vaati, his arms crossed and stern look on his face.

"Vaati?" she asked of the stoic mage. He took a moment to meet her questioning gaze. "Is something wrong?"

"I am bothered by something." He muttered and then paused again as he put his thoughts to words. "Marickiya," he addressed her abruptly, "When did you first read about this?"

"The... the same time I realized the princess had the Triforce piece." She felt a flutter in her stomach when Vaati grimaced at her statement.

"That is what I feared." It was a simple statement, but it had her feeling incredibly uneasy.  
>"Wh-what is it?" She asked.<p>

"Ganondorf somehow knew about the baby even though her existence was supposed to be secret. Only the three of us, the Sages, and the Kokiri knew of her." He delegated.

"Lana had been stalking us for awhile. Maybe we weren't careful when discussing it?" Mari offered. Vaati looked somber as he unfolded his arms and leaned his elbows on the table. He hid his mouth behind his hands.

"I do think this involves Lana, but I do not believe she discovered this secret by normal means."  
>"What do you mean?" That uneasy feeling was getting stronger. She was beginning to see what he was getting at.<p>

"She changed her appearance to look like someone from your past, Mari. Something you have not spoken of to anyone." He watched Mari's face pale significantly.

"She could have gotten the info from a Gerudo-"

"She could have, yes. But I do not think she did." They became quiet after that. The she sighed and gave a halfhearted shrug.

"Well, it's not like it matters anyway. We don't even know who this 'Phoenix' is." She was grasping desperately at any hope she could find that wasn't what Vaati was suggesting. He shook his head.

"Yes, but if we begin searching for them, he will as well." Link was somber at this revelation. There was another lapse of silence.

"I think," Link began slowly, "That we do need to find the Phoenix. If he does know, Ganondorf will have already started looking." He clenched his fist and then faced Marickiya fully. "Does the book say anything about how to find them?"

"I haven't come across anything yet, but I'll let you know." Her nose was hastily back in her book. The others remained silent now that they had something to reflect on.

It wasn't that much longer when the sun was threatening to set. None of the Sages had made an appearance. Aine had gotten up to stretch his limbs. Then, Mari had set down her quill again looking quite agitated and groaned.

"There's nothing in here about where to find this Phoenix." She had all over her recent scribbles splayed out over the whole tables surface. "There's more in here but I can't match any of it with my translation notes. The words look similar but they're not the same as what I've been reading."

"Don't worry about it. You've done a great job so far," Link tried to encourage her. She was barely listening though, still pouring over the papers. "What do you think?" He inquired of Vaati.

"Ganondorf does have a fairly distinctive magical signature." He said. "I suspect if I was close enough, I could sense the sealed power within someone." Link nodded, though he didn't fully understand the workings of his kind of sorcery.

"That's a start, at least. It might take a while and some traveling..." he trailed.

"That might take too long." Vaati said frankly. Although he didn't want to admit it, Link agreed with him.

"We don't have many other options," he responded, scratching at his chin. He was thinking over some other ideas he thought not likely to work, playing out different scenarios in his head.

"'Join me at the Deity of Souls and you shall find the answers you seek.'"

All three heads swerved towards Aine who had walked around the table and was now peering over Marickiya's shoulder at her book. They all gave him blank stares. He pointed to a scrawled note under a picture in the open book. "That's what it says here." Marickiya raised her eyebrows.

"You can read this?" He looked nearly confused.

"Yeah. It's modernized from the Sheikah language." He explained but Mari was already shaking her head.

"No, I mean, can you see this?" She picked up the book and gestured at the page he had previously pointed to. He had a bewildered look.

"Well, yes." He replied. Mari looked crosswise at Vaati and held out the tome for him to see. He regarded it fleetingly and confirmed what she was mutely asking. He still could not see any of its contents.

"No one else has been able to see what's in this book." She revealed. Aine had a dawning expression.

"As a Sheikah, I am trained to 'see what isn't seen'." He said matter-of-factly. "It appears to be an old Sheikah text. It was likely written so that only those who see the 'truth' can read it."

"That's so cool!" Mari exclaimed elatedly. "Have you heard of the 'Deity of Souls'?" She asked of the group at large but Aine was the one to speak up again.

"I've never know it as the 'Deity of Souls', but there's a picture of a statue next to the message that I recognize." He pointed to the picture above the message he read out before. "I've known it as the 'Great Fairy of spirit'. But 'Deity of Souls', I'm assuming, means about the same thing." He looked very pleased when Mari looked quite thrilled by his revelation.

"Do you know where it is?" she asked. He smiled and answered enthusiastically.

"Yeah, it's inside the temple that the Sheikah tend to. The Shadow Temple."

During this exchange, Link happened to notice the sour countenance Vaati had adopted. His arms were crossed again, though this time not in thought. The man eyed the friendly young Sheikah with a coldness that Link was all too familiar with. He bit back a laugh and decided to add to the discussion.

"What does the statue look like?" He asked. Marickiya, distracted from her marvel at Aine's ability to read her book, tried explaining the statue they were looking at. When she failed at that, she pulled a blank piece of parchment from her bag.

"Hold on, one second." She began sketching on her blank page, using the Sheikah text as her reference. After a few minutes she handed him her drawing of a regal looking sculpture. It was of a tall looking woman with intricate wings and a simple dress, cradling a flower.

"I once defeated an escaped shadow beast at the heart of the temple. I never saw anything like this down there." Link said and then handed back the drawing. Mari took it back looking a little disheartened.

"You might not have seen the entirety of the temple. There is a hidden doorway at the very beginning that leads you to the chamber with this statue." Aine asserted, clearly trying to cheer her up. It had worked, much to Vaati's annoyance.

"So, it's definitely in the temple," she said, mostly to herself. She lapsed into silence while staring at her drawing, lost in thought. Link let out a long breath and stood up.

"I'm ready to head home," he glanced out of the upstairs window. It was still only about mid afternoon, but he wasn't willing to wait for the Sages any longer, especially if night was going to be falling soon.

"Alright," Marickiya agreed, gathering up their notes and packing them away in her bag. The last thing she picked up was her picture. Aine cleared his throat lightly and sidled up next to her.

"I hope I am not too bold to ask," he spoke quietly so that she had to lean toward him to hear, "Would it be alright if I could keep that?"

"Hmm?" She gazed at him confusedly, then back to the paper he was gesturing at. "Oh! Yes, that's fine," and she handed it to him. He gave her a joyful smile which she returned genially.

"Thank you." As his hand touched the sheaf, he felt a sudden burning on the back of his neck. He glanced sideways and spotted the pale man giving him quite a dirty look. He averted his gaze and swallowed, keen on putting a little distance between himself and Marickiya.

All packed and ready to move out, they were saying their thanks and goodbyes to Aine. Mari gave him a friendly wave and was making her way out of the door. .Vaati was just behind her and had a hand at her back, hurrying her out of the room. Quite entertained by this new development, Link saluted the younger boy on his way after them. Once outside, Mari was chattering incessantly.

"This is so exciting! I wonder who it is was wrote that note. Maybe they are the Phoenix and they want us to meet with them!" She was practically bouncing up and down. Link took her fervor as an opportunity to pester Vaati. He patted the man's arm lightly.

"Way to be obvious," he muttered. Vaati looked like he had been jostled from a trance when he said this.

"Obvious?" He asked, nonplussed. "About what?" Link wanted to smack himself in the forehead, but he just chuckled.

"Nothing," he said dismissively. Marickiya noticed them lagging behind and stopped.

"What's the hold up? We need to get to the Temple." She tried getting them to walk faster.

"Right now?" Link groused. Mari stopped and faced him.

"Well, why not? This is the first lead we've had in months. I don't want to sit around any longer than we have to." She was very adamant in her stance. Link sighed.

"I suppose we could take a look. I've already been in there once and got rid of most of the monsters inside." Before he could finish his thought, Mari was already beaming and turning back to where they'd left Epona.

"Great! Let's get a move on, then." They had to pick up their pace to keep up with her hurried steps. She really was eager to find out about this Phoenix that would help them defeat Ganondorf. Perhaps, Link was thinking, she was feeling more beneficial to the team since she'd discovered it.

"I will not be joining you." This stopped the both of them. They both turned to Vaati, Mari looking more upset than Link about his declaration.

"Why not?" She asked, much like a child would when denied a treat.

"I have been there once, and I do not think I would be of much use to you." He looked away from her pleading face. "I shall be at the house when you are done." With nothing else to say, he was already calling forth wind and shadow to whisk him away. Another second and the two remaining of the trio were staring into the nothingness Vaati had left in his stead. Marickiya looked a little worried.

"What's up with him?" she asked with concern. Link was beside himself with how the two of them were acting. He managed to remain poised.

"Don't worry about it." He walked ahead of her, motioning for her to follow. Epona had spotted them and was ready to get going herself when they arrived at her stall. "Ready?" He asked.

"Ready." She said with a determined nod.

0000

She was so nice. Even after only seeing her a few times, he couldn't help but like her. He was very much used to be being picked on by girls his age for his small stature. Though, because he was smaller than most, he'd excelled in his Sheikah training. That was why he was chosen to be the princess's caretaker and not them. He kept that thought with him whenever he felt down.

Marickiya had never made fun of him. She smiled a lot and valued his input whenever he had something to say.

He was laying down on his bed, holding up the portrait he'd asked to keep from Mari. It was a really good drawing, in his opinion. He'd been to see the statue in person a few times and he always liked it. The likeness was equivalent. He wondered if this was her hobby. He truly could not keep his mind off of her.

"What is that?" The sudden entrance of a voice into his mind's wandering had startled him quite badly. He sat up and turned swiftly to the owner of the voice, Impa.

"Auntie Impa!" He stood and gave her a courteous bow. She eyed him for a moment before continuing her questioning.

"Did you draw that?" she asked. Aine didn't have to look to know what she was referring to. He shook his head, feeling nervous under her hawk like gaze. "Who drew it?

"Marickiya. She's the girl Link is always with." He admitted quickly. Her eyes narrowed and he felt that nervousness again.

"Where has she seen this?" This question was a little more demanding that the first few. She was beginning to frighten him.

"I-in a book." He quailed under her as her eyes narrowed.

"What book?" She said low and slowly. He gulped.

"I don't know." He squeaked. She backed away but kept her austere disposition.

"Aine," she kept her low, steady tone, "Are they going to that chamber?"

"They might. They didn't say." Impa closed her eyes and put the tips of her fingers together. He recognized that stance. She was trying to contact them. He waited for her to open her eyes again.

"They are not home." This time there was a hint of worry in her voice. "Aine," she rounded on him again, "You know those chambers are forbidden to those without a Sheikah guide."

That's what she was troubled about. He had completely forgotten this rule of the Temple. He didn't know why it was forbidden, he had always been inside with no problems and thought nothing of it.

"I am sorry, Auntie Impa. I forgot." He flinched when she raised her voice again.

"Being sorry will not help. They are in great danger." She quieted her voice but not her fierceness. "You cannot make mistakes like this when caring for the Princess. However small it may seem, one misstep could mean the difference between life and death." The statement took a moment to set in. His stomach did a few flips.

"Get to the stalls. You're going to need a horse."

0000

The sun was finally starting to set on what had been one of the longest days. Vaati had to admit, the view of the sun from the roof of their house was magnificent. It was very relaxing.

Just a few moments prior, he had seen Link and Marickiya walk through the town towards the graveyard. They had not noticed him as they passed and he did not hail them. He did not feel like having Marickiya try and talk him in to joining them. The idea of entering that place that blinded all of his senses and filled him with the hatred and malice of wandering spirits was not one he liked to entertain. Still, he could not say he wasn't interested in this 'Phoenix' Mari had uncovered. Where she was overly ecstatic about it, he was wary.

When he was sent to this place, he was bidden to rid the land of two great threats. He was working with his two companions towards taking down his first target, Ganondorf. The second objective had always been a hazy one. Nothing else seemed to truly jump out as catastrophic. He wouldn't be able to completely ignore Marickiya's new found magic, but he could not sense any dark power from her. That made him pursue other options. Such as the Phoenix.

Supposedly, this person was able to absorb Ganondorf's godlike power and render him mortal. That was fine and all, but his query rested with what happens to that person once they get that kind of power. Would they be able to utilize it? If so, who's to say they wouldn't try and terrorize Hyrule just as the King of Evil himself had done? If they were actually able to find and convince them to help in the fight against Ganon, he would be keeping an eye on them.

Darkness was on the brink of covering everything in the growing Kakariko Village. Some of its inhabitants were turning in for the night while others were putting up lights to stay up and continue running their businesses for those still out and about. Ever since Lana's few attacks, Vaati began keeping an eye on the entrance for newcomers. It was just about then that a rider caught his attention upon their arrival. It didn't take him long to figure out who it was. As no one was around to see, he rolled his eyes up to the sky in annoyance. That newcomer was rushing towards the house. Just as he topped the last step, Vaati jumped down to meet him.

"Oh!" Aine said in mild alarm. "Hello," the boy was out of breath but was attempting to mask it. Vaati did not offer him a word of greeting so he continued. "Is Marickiya here?"

"No." Vaati said tonelessly. He was satisfied with the Sheikah's uncomfortable squirm. He struggled with his next few words.

"Do you... uhh... know where I could find her?" He fidgeted a lot and couldn't keep eye contact with him. This only served to irritate the mage further. He clucked his tongue.

"They went off to that temple that you told them about." Vaati finally conceded.

"Oh!" The boy said again. "Well. Thank you." Then he was making his way back down the stairs.

Vaati watched him descend and then follow the path Marickiya and Link had taken toward the graveyard. He humphed to himself.

Mari had informed him that this youth was going to become the sole guardian to the new heir to the Hylian throne. This fidgety, blundering, boy would be the one responsible for the upbringing of the princess. He did not think he could agree with whomever had made that call. He shook his head and took his place back up on the roof.

He laid his head back on his hands and watched as the last of the days' sunlight dipped into nonexistence, beginning the night. He was trying to reorganize his scattered thoughts after that bothersome intrusion by Aine. Try as he might though, he could not get his mind back on track. He kept thinking about Link, Marickiya, and Aine.

He definitely sensed an air of urgency about the boy when he came to find Mari. Perhaps he felt he'd put her in danger by sending her on this mission. Vaati felt confident in Link's abilities and wasn't worried if they were together.

He could not quiet his heart. He couldn't even remember what he had been contemplating before that boy's appearance. All he could wonder about was what had gotten Aine so riled that he would come to Kakariko immediately. His feet were tapping tempestuously.

He groaned loudly as he sat up, hopped down onto the grass, and followed in the tracks of his comrades and Aine.

0000

The Shadow Temple felt a lot darker since his last visit. As soon as he had entered the foyer lit by many torches, he felt that seclusion he was used to. Compared to the outside though, it felt like the transition from a sunny day to an utter blackness a windowless room would exhibit. He was feeling extremely alone.

He wouldn't give in to that helpless feeling. Not now. There were people who needed him. He let out a breath and pushed forward.

'Forward' being a figurative term, he moved to the western part of the torch room and stood before a normal looking stone wall. Well, to anyone else it might look normal. For him, there stood another doorway similar to the main entrance at the northern wall of the room. He sucked in a breath to steady his nerves and headed through the open doorway.

Once he crossed into the brick-lined hallway, he felt completely cut off from the outside world. Even though he'd been here several times, he could not shake the disquiet in the back of his head. Something was out of place.

The hallway wasn't very long and he came upon a circular room with a split path. One door to the left and one to the right. Without the time for indecision, he approached the left path. He placed his hand upon the door and held in a breath, waiting. It was faint, but he sensed movement beyond the door. He pushed it open and started making his way down another passage at a quick pace, keen on catching up to Link and Marickiya.

The corridor made a sharp left and he followed along while keeping an eye out for any sign of the others. A few feet after the bend, he slowed down and began tip toeing. He was alerted by a shuffling sound. It was about then that the smell hit him.

He clasped a hand over his mouth and nose, so putrid was this odor He could hardly breath.

As he neared a branching passageway, the shuffling became more pronounced. There were other noises to accompany it. One of them was gnashing teeth. He crouched to the ground and inched his way up to the corner to peer around it. His eyes became wide with fear and disgust.

_'Oh gods!' _

A Dead Hand had been making those noises as it chomped down on an unidentifiable rotting carcass. He was paralyzed at the sight. He couldn't tell if the foul stench was coming from the decomposition or the beast itself. He watched the thing raise its head to chew and swallow another piece of meat...

His blood drained from his face when he made a horrific revelation. It wasn't chewing... It was 'sniffing'.

He didn't waste another second and was inching back into his hall. Then there was a wailing screech that signified his presence had been revealed. There was nothing else for it except to bolt.

Adrenaline and terror were pumping through him, pushing him to sprint as fast as he could. The monster had spotted him as it rounded that corner he had a second before been hiding behind. He heard it shriek again as it made after him and dared not look back. The only thing he could think about was getting back through the door that led to this nightmare.

The end of the hallway was coming up on him fast. He skidded on the stone floor and with the door handle in his grasp, he wrenched it open and slipped through, then vigorously slammed it behind him. His breathing was heavy and he leaned against the door to catch it. Now that a barrier was between him and certain, painful death, questions were spinning through his head.

That door should have been sealed, but it wasn't even locked. He knew that there were sometimes Dead Hands in the lower dungeons, but those were always locked up quite securely. What in the hell was going on?

There was a thumping on the floor next to his feet that made his heart leap into his throat. He looked down at the source of the startling noise, then let out a tiny yelp. One of the hands had been severed and was now flopping about on the ground. It had been _that close._

Before he could react, a muffled screech sounded from behind the door he was leaned up against. Then an almighty crash which could only be that thing slamming its body against the other side, had him scrambling away and tripping all over himself. He caved in to instinct and ran all the way back to the main torch lit foyer. At the mouth of his hallway, he fell into the wall and slid to his hands and knees.

A Dead Hand. What was a dead hand doing in a room that close to the entrance? He knew that some resided inside the temple but they were heavily monitored and never near the beginning of the place. In all the times he had been there, he'd never seen a Dead Hand in person.

A thought struck him. Was this what Impact meant when she said they were in danger? His heart plummeted. What if they had already been attacked? What if he was too late? The mass of flesh his Dead Hand had been munching on swam in his vision, making him feel sick. His face fell into his hands. If they were dead, it was his fault. Guilt was settling heavily over him.

Another foreign sound made him start again. He didn't think he could handle anything else like what had just happened. He slowly stood up, taking a cautious look at his surroundings.

The sound was a low moaning. It wasn't like a Redead's groan, more like... crying. He peeked into the lit foyer where the crying was loudest.

Through the many torch stands he spotted its source. Without any more hesitation, he rushed over to what he now recognized as two people laying sprawled on the ground, presumably unconscious. He knelt down beside the closer one, the one who was crying, and placed a hand on their shoulder.

"What is happening?" A voice came from the stairs. Aine whipped around and watched as Vaati, the wind sorcerer, walked down them. He stopped at the last step, when he saw the scenario in front of him. Then he exploded with anger. "What did you do!?"

"Nothing!" he could only react. He just realized how bad this looked. He held up his hands as the fuming mage stomped towards him. "I didn't do this! I- I just-"

"Speak!" With the demand came a forceful gust of wind that knocked Aine back and away from the two on the ground. He tumbled back into the central podium, hitting his back rather hard, and his breath was knocked from him. Little lights danced in front of his eyes for a second. When he was able to get a grasp on reality again, he focused on the sorcerer who had just attacked him. The man was kneeling next to Link and Marickiya, for they had been the ones unconscious on the ground. He was checking them over.

For the most part, they were both simply asleep. There was nothing that was discernibly wrong with either of them. Except for the fact that Link's face was glistening with tears and his teeth were gritting. Vaati directed his attention back on Aine with a vicious scowl.

"What happened," he asked again.

"I'm sorry!" The younger boy was frantic with tears on his eyelashes. "I came here to try and prevent something like this from happening."

"You knew?" He looked even more livid and continued his approach. "You _knew _this would happen?"

"N-no!" Aine was beside himself. "Impa sent me! I came to stop them! Please!" He held his hands in front of his face protectively. Vaati was within arms length but he stopped. There was a tense pause between the two of them. Then Vaati backed off.

It took Aine a moment to realize that he had walked away. He caught a glimpse between his raised arms and saw Vaati had returned to their consorts. He saw him clench his fists then relax them. He took a deep breath.

"Let's get them back to the house."


	16. Chapter 16

Unveiled Shadows

Night had completely fallen. With some effort on Aine's part, the both of them managed to carry Link and Marickiya back to their loft. They ambled into the darkened room, which was immediately lit by Vaati's magic. He was too annoyed to do it conventionally, and with a single exhale through his nose, fire sprung to life in each of the lanterns.

"Place Mari there," he nodded towards his bed. Aine obeyed wordlessly, fearful of doing anything else. He hefted the light girl he was carrying onto the cot he motioned toward.

"Good. Now, help me get Link onto the table."

The table was littered with things from the last time someone had sat at it and Aine was quick to start cleaning it off. Once cleared, he went to hoist the Hylian's legs up while Vaati held him by his shoulders. Everything had been settled except for Vaati's nerves.

_'This again,' _he thought as he gazed at Mari lying comatose. He looked over at Link to his right. He had him laid out on the table so that he stood between the two. Both of his friends were missing in action this time and it was physically painful for him.

"Is there anything I can do to-" Aine had begun to say but Vaati cut him off.

"You can stay out of the way and not say a word." He said aggressively. The young Sheikah boy obliged and stood by the door with his hands behind his back looking grim but not saying a word as suggested.

Vaati, without the distraction, fixated his attention first on Link. He moved closer and held a hand over his eyes, muttering an incoherent incantation. He paused, waiting. After a moment, his eyebrows raised. A wave of relief washed over him. He moved to Mari and performed the same incantation. He let out a breathy laugh so that Aine could not hear. The ailment that affected Link and Mari both were the same and could be easily remedied. He took another deep breath to calm himself.

He reached into his bag beside Mari and quickly pulled out a small empty bottle. He uncorked it and held it in his palm before him. Aine watched curiously as the mage closed his eyes and began whispering under his breath in an unrecognizable tongue. Almost instantly, something purple and hazy, gritty even, lifted from Mari and Link's closed eyes. The strange vapor like substance swirled in the air for a moment then it seemed to get sucked into the tiny glass container. It swallowed up every bit of it and the bottle was filled to the brim with deep violet. Vaati put the stopper back into the neck.

With his other hand, he drew an intricate marking in the air with his index finger, a glowing trail left in its wake. The bottle gleamed brightly and then everything faded, leaving an innocent looking vessel with a interesting dark liquid residing within. Finished, Vaati replaced the thing back in his bag.

"What was that?" Aine asked meekly from the door. Vaati shot him a disdainful look which shut him up immediately. But he decided to answer his question.

"It was a curse." He said simply, making it evident he wasn't going to give him any more than that.

It was becoming increasingly apparent to him just how much he cared about what happened to these two. He couldn't hold it back. When he had seen Aine standing over them, he lost control. Because his blood magic relied on feeling instead of power by word, whenever he was emotionally compromised, he would sometimes fire off magic instinctively. At that time, he wanted to separate Aine from Link and Mari and his blood reacted. This was another reason why he did not make friends often. His fear of losing them was too great.

They would awaken soon and that thought helped calm him. They would be fine. He looked between their faces sadly. He was at fault for this again. He should have joined them. He had been overly confident that nothing would happen, that they would be able to get what they needed and get out. It never works out that way.

Marickiya was the first to rise, sucking in a deep breath in alarm and sitting bolt upright with a hand clutched to her abdomen. Vaati rushed to her, fearing he may have missed something.

"Marickiya." He said it gently and pulled her hand away from her midriff. Nothing was visibly wrong.

"I'm alright." Her breathing started to even out. "I'm alright." She said again. He noticed she was trembling and anxiety emanated from her. He thought maybe it was an after effect from the curse he had lifted. Before he could ask, a great crash erupted behind him.

"Link!" He heard Aine cry out. He quickly turned to find Link had also awoken and kicked over a chair in a panic. He was flailing his arms about wildly as if fighting off an unseen force. He rushed to the side of the table as Link was frantically yelling at something to 'stop'. Vaati reached out and grasped one of Link's hands.

"Link." He used simple magic. Every action you make invokes this simple magic. The act of a firm touch and saying someone's name aloud brings calmness, for instance. It took a moment, but Link was settling down and stared at Vaati with fear in his eyes.

"Vaati," he uttered breathlessly. He sounded like he was reassuring himself, reorienting. He was still catching his breath as he turned his head one direction, then the other, in search of something. Craning his neck, he spotted Mari. He gazed at her with that fearful look.

"I'm sorry." He choked. "I'm so sorry." He let go of Vaati's hand and covered his eyes. Without the strength to sit up anymore, he laid his head back onto the table and wept, the tears pouring into his hair, and continuously apologized. Vaati gave Mari a questioning look but she merely shook her head in response.

_'Not now,'_ was what she said without saying. She quietly hopped off of the cot and went to Link's side. She placed a hand upon his that he held over his face. She whispered soothing words to him, asking if he wanted to move to his bed. She managed to coerce him up and walk over to it. He fell heavily upon the soft bedding, holding tightly onto her hand that had led him. He curled up with her sitting propped up against the wall beside him. Vaati approached the two.

"I think we're in for the night." Marickiya said softly. Vaati nodded. He put out the lamps, this time manually, one by one until the one beneath the stairs was left. He turned the last one down low so that they could still see. Mari looked past him.

"When did Aine get here?" She asked quietly. A flicker of annoyance passed over his feature that she did not notice.

"He rode in looking for you both. He helped me bring you back here." He explained. She nodded solemnly.

"He looks ready to leave. Can you let him know he's welcome to spend the night since it's so dark?" He shrugged in response, then turned toward the boy.

Aine had been watching everything, and tensed as Vaati neared him. He stopped right in front of him.

"At least you are able to keep quiet." He mumbled to the Sheikah. Aine continued his silence as Vaati spoke, looking at the ground. The mage eyed him for moment longer, then he let out a light breath. "You are welcome to stay for the night. Over there," he gestured toward his own cot and Aine acquiesced, hurrying over. He laid down without another word.

Vaati watched him for another few seconds before making his way back to Mari. He slid down to the floor against the wall, letting out a sigh of relief on his way down.

"Long day, huh," she said with a stifled giggle.

"Just what I was going to say." He said. He could sense she was finally relaxing and that helped to calm him as well. He wanted to ask about what happened, but didn't want to cause her distress. He tried posing his question in a different way. "Did you find anything?" Mari grew somber and he felt a twinge of guilt for saying anything at all.

"No," she said quietly. "We didn't even get past the first room we found..."

0000

_A great stone slab was slowing receding into a part of the wall that Link was looking at through an interesting violet lens. He had explained that it was called the 'Lens of Truth' and he could see like the Sheikah do._

_"I never thought to use it outside the temple," he mumbled offhandedly. The stone door finally disappeared into its crevice and the way forward was revealed. _

_"It's pretty dark in there." Mari said, starting to look a little uncertain. Link offered his hand to her and she took it._

_"Let's just not get separated," and with that, they crossed into the blackness. _

_It didn't take too long for their eyes to adjust a little to the pure darkness that surrounded them, __able to see shapes at least. The hall soon opened up into a small circular room with two branching hallways. _

_"Left or right?" Mari asked. She felt him shift around in the dark. _

_"I'm thinking right." He sounded a little unsure, but without anything else to go off of, they headed through the door to the right. _

_On the other side was another hallway. The only difference was that they could see this one ended a short way ahead in a solid wall. Dead end. _

_"I guess we head back?" Mari asked but Link walked forward. _

_"This wouldn't be here if it didn't have a purpose." He said under his breath. He brought his hand up, looking like he was about to place it on the wall, but he hesitated. Instead, he reached into a pouch on his side and pulled out the Lens of Truth again. He looked through it at the wall before him and let out a chuckle. "That's what I thought." He motioned for her to look through it as well. When the lens was placed in front of her eyes, the brickwork she has seen a second ago vanished. In its stead was another wall made up of a smoky substance that looked all too uninviting. Before she could protest though, Link was already moving into the wall. Without the lens, it was an odd sight seeing her brother simply phase through the bricks._

_She winced as she was pulled by Link through the fake wall, not sure what to expect. It felt like walking through a sheet of cascading water, but without the wetness. Almost immediately after passing through the mist, she lost her hold on Link's hand..._

_Link came through the other side and halted, as he became aware of two things. The first, he'd lost sight of Mari. The second, he had been inside the room he just entered before. He stood on a little island of dirt; the rest of the room was filled about a foot high with water. In the center, on a second lone island, stood a leafless tree. His breath caught in his throat. _

_It was the Illusionary Room from inside the Water Temple. _

_Instantly, all of muscles tensed. He sensed something inside with him and it definitely was not friendly. He drew his sword, and at the sound, he saw movement. Something humanoid had stepped out from behind the trunk. It wasn't hard to guess what it was. _

_"You!" he snarled at the dark figure. In response, the shadowy being grinned. Then it twirled back to its spot behind the tree out of his vision, chuckling. It wanted him to come closer. He took another sweeping look for Marickiya, then waded into the water, trying to make as little sound as he could. _

_About five feet off of his island, his ears perked at a sound that came from behind him. He looked down and behind him at the water's reflection. Seeing that same entity, he reacted. He swung his sword around in a wide horizontal slash. _

_The thing reacted just as quickly, arching its back to avoid the blade. It leered at him tauntingly and laughed again. Link was becoming frustrated. _

_"Where's Marickiya?" he demanded from the shadow. Unsurprising to him, it did not give an answer. It gave him another grin before melting into the water at its feet. Link whipped his head around in search of it, but it did not reappear. Maybe it wanted him to move again. He was getting rather fed up with this game already. He needed to find Marickiya. _

_He took another few steps forward and he heard the sound of trickling water behind him again. This time, without looking, he swung his sword around and made contact with something. He turned to face the shadow and saw that it had brought up a shield to deflect his blow. Link used both of his hands to put more weight on his sword, trying to drive his opponent to its knees. Quick as a flash, however, the shadow allowed the sword to slide off the shield, into the water. Then it shoved it's shoulder into Link's torso, knocking him away._

_Something was weird. Why hadn't it taken out its own sword yet? It vanished again, but Link was prepared for that. He got back up took off at a run. _

_It was a second after that he heard loud splashing behind him. He needed to make it where the shadow couldn't dodge his attack and he had an idea. _

_He stopped suddenly, taking out his shield and turning in a swift motion. He then threw the shield in the direction of the shadow in an unorthodox way, catching it off guard. It ducked and he grinned triumphantly. _

_In the blink of an eye, Link lunged forward and plunged his blade straight through its chest. _

_Everything froze. He was unable to move, staring into the surprised red eyes of the shadow. It was then that he realized that something was indeed wrong with the situation. _

_Resounding laughter echoed around the entire chamber, seemingly made up of many different voices. He tore his eyes away from the imitating shadow in search of those the laughter belonged to, but saw nothing. Everything was eerily still, like it was frozen in time. What was happening? _

_The laughing abruptly stopped and another voice spoke. _

_"Did you finally wake up?" _

_The voice was annoyed. It came from in front of him. All he could do was look towards the shadow, not yet comprehending what was going on. It would soon become clear. _

_He stared at the shadow's indistinguishable face. A moment ago he was staring into red eyes, but now it was blank. Nothing._

_Wait. It was changing. Taking on a new persona. His face drained of all color. _

_"Welcome back." Marickiya. She said the words with a grimace, unable to speak above a whisper. _

_"Mari-" something warm was dripping onto his hands, forcing him to look down. "Wha- I-" he couldn't finish any complete thoughts from the shock of what he was seeing. _

_Red. So much red. It spilled relentlessly all over his hands that held his blade. The blade that was plunged deep into Marickiya's abdomen. _

_"Mari!" he let go of the Master Sword and they slumped to the ground into the impossibly still water. He placed his hands on her face. "Mari, can you here me?!" No answer. White hot pain seared through him. "No, no, NO! Please," he looked into her half lidded stare and saw nothingness in them. "Please," he was breaking, "I'm sorry."_

_The laughter from no where began again, but he couldn't care less. Then, something forced him out of his catatonia. Long, slender, black arms were coming forth from the water and dragging Mari away. He was overcome by fury. _

_"You will NOT!" He bellowed and made to grab her but she was just out of his reach and he couldn't move. He looked around him to find more arms were pulling him into the water. He struggled viciously, but it was no use. He screamed out until his head was pulled under the surface and he was no longer able to see Mari, only darkness... _

0000

"I could see what was happening, but could do nothing to stop it.

"He thought," she swallowed hard and her hand unconsciously moved to her chest, "He thought he had killed me."

"It was an illusion brought on by a curse that protected that passage." Vaati explained. She nodded shakily. He sighed to himself, feeling they twinge of guilt again.

"Marickiya," he spoke softly, and she looked up forlornly, but still astute. "I am sorry." His words brought her out of her reverie. He never apologized like that before, with true emotion behind it.

"For what?" she asked, more awake then. She watched his shoulders sag in the dark.

"For not accompanying you." She studied the side of his face. He was truly worrying about it.

"It's alright." She breathed. She could tell he wasn't letting go of it though. They were very quiet for a long while.

"Does that mean you're coming with us tomorrow?" Mari asked. She received a sigh in return.

"Yes." he said. "I am not looking forward to it, however."

"After what we just went through, I have to say I'm a little nervous about going back." She paused before adopting a determined expression. "But we have to do this."

"Agreed." He said, nodding grimly.

For the remainder of the night, Vaati stayed beside the two siblings, watching over them. Tomorrow was going to be a full day...

0000

The four adventures, after having climbed up and over the gated alcove, stood shoulder to shoulder facing the depths of the Shadow Temple's entrance.

Earlier in the morning, it had been decided that Vaati and Aine would be joining Link and Marickiya into the temple, much to each others annoyance. Vaati was going not only to offer more protection for the other two, but also to keep an eye on the Sheikah. Aine, of course, knew of Vaati's intentions, and was uncomfortable with his proximity. He couldn't very well protest the arrangement, he was afraid of eliciting the mage's anger again. His back ached from yesterday's mishap. He had to stay focused, telling himself this was just a normal jaunt through the temple.

"Well," Link began with as much bravado as he could muster, "Let's get this over with, then." None of them were as eager as Marickiya to do this, but even she was a bit reluctant after her first visit. Still, one by one, they descended the steps into the foyer. Aine had explained before they left that they had needed a Sheikah with them to enter the chambers they sought. He said that there shouldn't be any instances like what happened before since he was there with them this time.

Vaati sniffed at his bold proclamation, and at the fact that Mari, looking relieved, appeared to have believed him. He wouldn't believe the youth's words until they were all out of this place without a scratch.

Aine led the way through the torches and to the western part of the circular room. They quickly had to stop, however.

"Vaati!" Marickiya exclaimed in alarm. He was leaning heavily on Link, looking even more pale than usual, and had broken out in a sweat. Link, having already witnessed this behavior before, had been keeping an eye on him and was the only reason he hadn't fallen over completely.

"I am fine." He said through his teeth. He pushed off the Hylian, righting himself, but was quickly listing again. Link caught him, then grabbed one of his arms and draped it over his shoulders. Vaati resigned to the help.

"Are you sure you-"

"Yes." Vaati declared resiliently, interrupting Mari's question. She pursed her lips.

"Okay," she breathed back.

Vaati was out of sorts and she knew it must have something to do with the temple. Even she could feel a tightness in her chest that wasn't because of her experience with Link the day before. The place freaked her out. She had to do this, though, and Vaati knew that. It was why he decided to tag along. She was a little overwhelmed. Between him, Link, and Aine offering their support to this project of hers, she was feeling quite happy despite the negativity of their surroundings.

They followed after Aine who had waited for them at the opening they needed to go through.

"What's going on?" Link whispered to Vaati, trying to be discrete. "I thought you were only affected when you were inside." Vaati shook his head.

"I am unsure." He whispered back, not wanting to concern Mari further, and to not let on that he was weakened in front of Aine. "The spirits... They seem a lot more," he fished around for the right word, "Agitated. We are not welcome here."

"Great." Link said flatly.

Quietness blanketed them as they entered the western entryway and started their trek through the temple. Just like before, they all arrived at another circular chamber, this one smaller. This was where Aine stood in front of everyone.

"We will take the right passage." With one hand behind his back, he gestured at the aforementioned door as if this were a simple tour. Marickiya fidgeted nervously for a second and Vaati was still hanging off Link. He looked between them expectantly. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no." Mari said. "It's just," her gaze wandered over to her brother, "That was the way we took last time..." she faltered at the end of her statement.

"You were heading in the right direction." He halted when he saw that what he meant as a compliment had everyone shifting around uncomfortably. He cleared his throat. "Let's move on, shall we?" and he gestured to the right passage. Marickiya grimaced, but followed after.

"Link," Vaati said softly, "I believe I am alright to walk."

Without a word, Link let the mage go and watched as he steadied himself. He was still pale, but was also holding out well. They gave each other a nod.

"How deep do you suppose we will be going?" Vaati asked. Link shook his head.

"I don't know." Then his face brightened. "But, I have an idea." He reached into one his belt pouches and quickly pulled out a green gem. Vaati stared at it, intrigued.

He had seen Link use a gem like this once before, when he followed them to the Temple of Time. That one had been red and caused a dome of fire to spread from the user. As much as he wanted to examine the small gem in Link's hand, he merely watched as the Hylian worked his magic.

He held it over his head and a shimmering green light erupted above them. The light gathered into a ball that hovered in Link's hand for a second before shooting off to float in the center of the room near the ceiling.

"Fascinating," Vaati mumbled looking up at the bright light that was casting a green hue on everything.

"Would you like to know what it does?" Link was looking a little excited to share but Vaati gave him a cheeky grin.

"I already know." Link looked a little put out as Vaati explained. "It is retracing magic. I assume when you use that again, you would be transported to where you created your check point," he pointed at the green orb. Link crossed his arms.

"Way to take the fun out of it."

"What's the hold up you two?" Marickiya called in a subdued tone. They hurried down the hall after her and came upon she and Aine standing at a dead end. Vaati surmised that this was the false wall Mari described from her and Link's incident. Speaking of the Hylian, upon realizing where they arrived, he adopted a hardened look. Vaati decided to await a situational explanation.

"This was as far as you got, wasn't it?" Aine noticed Link's demeanor as well. Mari nodded. "Don't worry," he smiled sweetly, "With me here, we'll get through."

Vaati nearly scoffed out loud. He sounded so pompous. He let the comment slide for the most part when he saw Marickiya was still visibly distressed. He brushed a hand to her arm and she gave him a side glance, then looked back to the wall. His brow furrowed. Even his presence there wasn't enough to console her. He sneered, deriding himself for that last thought. Who was pompous?

"This way." Aine said to them quietly.

Had he not already know what was going to happen, he might have been shocked to see the Sheikah standing part way through the wall as if he had been cut in half. As it were, he more interested in how the illusion worked than anything.

Marickiya was the first to move, stepping forward, then looking back at Link. He was still rooted to the spot. She held out her hand. With a hint of hesitation, he took it, palm sweaty. She started leading him through the wall Aine disappeared through and felt him squeeze tightly. She wanted to erase his doubt, but could barely mask her own. All she could think to do was squeeze back and trudge on, wide eyes staring ahead.

That same cascading feeling washed over her as she entered into the fake wall. It felt like it took a lot longer to find the other side than the last time. Finally breaking the barrier, the first thing she realized was that the darkness wasn't as permeating here. Then she spotted Aine waiting for them and let out a shaky breath. Once she crossed all the way over, she pulled Link along to join her. His face swam into view and he looked as relieved as she felt. They smiled at one another. Vaati immediately appeared just behind her brother, undaunted. She giggled.

"What's funny?" Link asked, bemused. Vaati raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing, nothing." She said still grinning widely. Everything was suddenly funny to her.

"Alright." Aine interjected. "It's mostly a straight shot from here on out. We're going to be doing a lot of walking though," he turned and motioned for them to follow. Mari was the first to move again, bouncing after him. "This is the easiest way to get to where we're going."

"Easiest?" Link asked. "Is there a quicker way?" Vaati thought this was a good question. Aine spoke over his shoulder.

"Technically, the other passage we saw ends up in the same place and is quicker. But," he paused, chewing on his tongue. Should he tell them what he saw in there? There were also the 'Trials'... "It is... dangerous." He kept his pace determinedly even. Vaati's face grew dark.

The boy knew something, but wasn't letting anyone else in on it. He did not like that. His irateness alerted the Hylian who fell back in step with him.

"How are you?" he asked of the mage out of the corner of his mouth. Momentarily dropping his sullen look, he gave another raised eyebrow.

"Worried?" he jested. Link smirked back.

"I just wanted to make sure our all powerful sorcerer is in top shape for the task at hand." Vaati actually laughed at that.

"I see how it is." He crossed his arms and concentrated. "I have regained my senses, though their range is significantly diminished."

"Ah," Link nodded. Then he shook his head. "What does that mean exactly?"

"It means," Vaati said, exasperated, though still amused, "That I am able to feel where things and people are but for a shorter distance than what I am used to."

"Okay." Link thought he understood a little better. "Do you know why you weren't able to before?"

"I suspect there was some kind of ward at the entrance. Possibly to discourage any-"

He stopped in his tracks. Link stopped with him and was about to ask him if anything was wrong when his eye glowed a bright red. He'd seen him do that before and took it to mean that something bad was happening. _'That was fast,' _he thought to himself.

"They're gone." He said fiercely.

"What?" Link blinked in surprise.

"I cannot see the others." He had meant it both physically and magically. Link turned and made to sprint forward, but after a few steps, there was a small 'smack' and Link was forced to stop, bouncing back a bit.

"There's a wall here," he said meekly while rubbing his nose. Vaati quickly joined him and found that there were blocked from making any further progress, this time by a very solid wall. A swift glance around told him there were no other branching paths. Before Vaati could begin probing the wall for any possible ways through, Link was pounding his fist on the stonework.

"Marickiya!" he shouted into the dense quiet, causing Vaati to wince. "Aine!" He feared stirring up anything unfriendly and urged the Hylian to quiet down. They stood still, listening, Vaati searching the floor for anything else he might have missed. Then...

"Link?" It was so soft, they both thought they had imagined it. There was another call a little louder than the first. "Vaati?" It had been closer. The heard some muffled sounds from the other side of the wall.

"What's going on?" They heard Aine's voice then. Mari was saying something quiet that they couldn't understand. Then there was a loud swear.

"What is it?" Link said loudly again. Vaati gave up trying to keep him from yelling. Mari piped up.

"Aine says this was a trick wall meant to cut off intruders."

"Wonderful." Vaati pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to remain calm. "Simply wonderful."

"Is there any way to get through?" Link asked. Some more mumbling.

"The only way to meet back up is to head the other way around." She explained. The two looked between each other.

"We can't let them go on their own." Link said worriedly.

"I am aware of that fact." Vaati's patience was growing extremely thin. "I want to know what we'll be getting into if we take the other path." Link nodded and shouted this concern.

"Just keep going straight. Don't take any turns and our paths will reconnect. There are few Trials you will have to pass to get through." They heard Aine say.

"Trials? You mean like puzzles?" Link said, losing his worried look.

"Sort of." Aine conceded.

"That shouldn't be too much of a problem." Link said to Vaati.

"Link," came Aine's voice again, though it sounded more serious. "I have to tell you. I went through that door yesterday and was attacked by a Dead Hand." Link backed away from the wall, a look of shock replacing his one of confidence.

"A Dead Hand?" Vaati said, but Link ignored him. He was looking pensive. Then his face was set with resolve.

"We're not leaving you both. We can handle whatever we find." He said without consulting the mage. As much as it annoyed him, he probably would have made the same decision. "We'll meet back up with you as soon as we can."

"Alright." Aine called back. As Link backed away and started retracing his steps back the way they'd come with Vaati in tow, they heard Mari call out as well.

"Please, be careful."

0000

After her warning, Marickiya stood with her palms upon the wall separating them from the others, waiting. She looked disheartened when she didn't get a reply. Aine was disquieted as well.

"Don't worry," he felt like the phrase was worn out at that point, "We'll meet up with them again." She backed away slowly, but kept her attention firmly affixed. "We should keep going."

She still stood, like she was waiting for their friends to simply appear right back at their side. He bit his lip, then reach towards her. He gently pulled her hand and began leading her on.

Solitude. That was what she was feeling even with Aine there holding her hand. The touch was foreign to her. She already missed Link and Vaati's company. It wasn't that she disliked or doubted Aine, she had grown accustomed to their presence it was so empty with the two of them gone. After losing the functionality of her right hand, her dominant hand, the crippling dependency on her friends was tearing away at her. Her hand slipped from Aine's fingers.

"Aine," she had stopped, "Do you come here a lot?" she asked.

"Yes. It is the Temple of the Sheikah, after all." He said.

"Do things like that happen often?" He was taken aback. Not by the question, but by the answer he had for it.

"No," he admitted, "Not usually." It was true. Every time he had visited this place, it was just another day of his training. He knew there were traps and dangers, but had never experienced any of them himself. That was why he didn't really think anything of it when the other three had gone on to find the statue he told them about. He bit his lip. "This place is where the spirits of Hyrule amass, both good and bad. It seems the bad ones are a little more active than usual." It became exceptionally quiet after he said this.

"Do you... think it's possible they know what we're trying to do?" she asked tentatively.

"I don't know," was his grim response.

She was afraid. Not only for everyone's safety, but she feared the spirits within the temple were acting out against her, that it was her fault they were separated. Ever since she had been attacked by Lana, she was beginning to feel like she was more of a nuisance than anything. She felt like curling up into herself, to get away. It was a hassle burying those feelings.

Aine could tell that his words had upset her. The only thing to do was to keep going and hope that the others caught up quickly. He wanted to cheer her up but was unsure of how he would do it. Maybe a distraction? He turned his head to the side, giving her a side glance and cleared his throat lightly.

"Marickiya?" He began. She only hummed in response. He sucked in a quiet breath. "May I ask you a question?" She looked up and seeing his expression, she nodded.

"Yes, of course." He let out his breath.

"How did you and Link meet?" She hummed again, but this time it wasn't as noncommittal. Then she smiled a little sheepishly as the memory enveloped her mind, effectively distracting her as was his intent.

"It's a little embarrassing," she said, putting a hand to the back of her neck, "He sort of saved me." Aine smiled.

"Nothing less from the Hero of Time." She giggled at this.

"I had been traveling with this man and he-" she paused mid sentence, thinking, "He wasn't very nice." She finished after crossing her arms. Aine got the impression she didn't like to talk bad about others. She continued. "Link thought he was going to attack me, so he ran him off."

"Did this man hurt you?" he asked. She looked sad again.

"Yes." Then she held up her hands quickly. "But not physically." Her arms were back at her sides again. "I think he thought he loved me. Only... He wouldn't have said those things if he did..." She lost herself in this thought for a moment. Then she noticed Aine's inclining look and cleared her throat. "I think he was more in love with the idea of saving me."

"From what?" Aine was keen on keeping the conversation going.

"I was a prisoner at the Gerudo Fortress and he helped me escape." She stated simply.

"That sounds exciting." Aine said with wide eyes. She chuckled.

"Yeah..." Though she smiled, he could see a dullness in her eye. He sensed that this was a touchy subject for her. He felt lucky that she was sharing as much as she was, but decided to redirect the discussion.

"How did you meet the sorcerer?" He hadn't intended to pose the question like that. His thoughts sort of derailed when it came to saying the man's name and he ended up using a title instead. He berated himself while Mari blinked a few times.

"Vaati?" The name gave him chills and he knew why he didn't want to say it himself. "We danced together at the Princess Zelda's memorial service." He heard the fondness in her voice and knew his cheeks were coloring without his permission. He knew without needing to ask; it was too late for him.

"He cares a lot about you," he said abruptly. He even caught himself off guard with what he had said.

"What?" Marickiya started. Words began tumbling out of Aine's lips.

"When I found you and Link, he got really angry. He was worried you were injured." He explained quickly. He was relieved to see Mari smiling again, despite how foolish he felt.

"Thank you for telling me that." She said sweetly.

He wasn't exactly sure how, but he had managed to find the right words to cheer her up, even if he was flustered by them. It didn't feel as awkward anymore and they had picked up their pace, Mari walking in step beside him instead of lagging behind.

Marickiya's thoughts were dwelling on when she had first woke up at the house after falling unconscious in the temple. Vaati was very gentle and it was seldom that she saw him like that. With the little Aine had confessed had happened, she pieced the rest together. Then, when Link had also awoken, he rushed to her brother, calming him and making sure he was alright. That particular thought made her the happiest. She wasn't sure when or how it had happened, but the two boys had put aside their differences. She could say without a doubt that they had become friends while she wasn't looking.


End file.
